Happenings in October - AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum

Tuesday 8/10/24

I am already familiar with the AVENE Cleanance range as I am currently using Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel and Cleanance Comedomed. Hence, adding AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum to my routine felt like the perfect complement to complete my skincare set. Thanks Daily Vanity for introducing the product.

AVENE Cleanance A.H.A Exfoliating Serum is suitable for people with sensitive, blemish-prone skin. Its lightweight, watery texture infused with Avène Thermal Spring Water, feels incredibly soothing upon application. 

The serum absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving behind a hydrated, dewy glow without any greasy feeling. The serum is free from fragrance. I noticed it effectively soothed redness and did not trigger any breakouts or discomfort. It’s the perfect addition to my skincare routine.

Hong Kong Day 2: Exploring Novotel Citygate Hong Kong

I managed to sleep for a few hours during this trip as compared to my past few trips. I went to bed at 11.45pm, woke up at 1.50am and stayed awake till 3am. The next time I woke up was already 6.40am.

Sunrise came early in Hong Kong. By 6.45am, the sky was already so bright. Since our itinerary for today was only Disneyland, we can enjoy a slower pace and no need to get out of bed so early. I rest for another hour before getting up to prepare.

We headed down to Essence restaurant at level 1 for breakfast buffet at 9.10am. The selection was decent with a fusion-style Chinese and Western dishes. I was leaning more towards the Western dishes.

The swimming pool was located at level 3. From our room, I could see an outdoor area for guests to roam around. Captivated by the view, I decided to check out this area.

We enjoyed staying at Novotel Citygate Hong Kong so far, experiencing the best of both worlds with the stunning views of the hill and sea.

This was the view that guests staying in the room opposite ours would see, I still preferred our room view. From this angle, you can catch a glimpse of the cable car on the left side of the hill.

We went back to hotel to drop off our loots. By the time we reached Tung Chung MTR station, it was already 12pm. I went to the customer service counter to purchase an Octopus Card at HKD200 (or S$34.84). We then took a train to Sunny Bay MTR station, just one stop from Tung Chung, to transfer to the Disneyland Resort line.

Disneyland, I am coming.

Hong Kong Day 1: Novotel Citygate Hong Kong + Banchan & Cook

I made my second visit to Hong Kong, a bustling city brimming with activities for travelers. Having been to Hong Kong before, this trip felt a bit like coming home, giving me the chance to explore new places that I yet to discover and revisit old favourites. It left me feeling even more captivated by the city's charm.

It drizzled the entire morning as we made our way to Changi Airport Terminal 3 and arrived at 11.30am for our flight at 1.05pm. As our boarding gate was a distance away, we took a sky train and walked to our boarding gate.

Meal was being served at about 3pm and I enjoyed Black Pepper Chicken with Steamed Rice and Seasonal Oriental Vegetables. The black pepper chicken accompanied by a flavourful sauce was delicious. The meal also included an appetiser, bread and juices. Udders Salted Caramel Ice Cream for dessert was served after we were almost done with the meal. 

Eating was a bit challenging due to minor turbulence and some shakiness as we flew over the South China Sea.

The view of Hong Kong slowly came to sight. We landed at Hong Kong International Airport at 5.25pm. Visitors are required to fill out an arrival card, which we completed on the plane. Customs clearance was efficient, taking only about 15 minutes. However, we had to wait a bit longer for our baggage, which took around 20 minutes.

My exchange rate was S$1 : HKD5.74.

After we collected our baggage, we walked towards the taxi station outside the arrival hall. There are three types of taxis available:

- Urban taxis (red) operate in most areas in Hong Kong

- New Territories taxis (green) mainly operate in the north-eastern part (i.e. north of Sha Tin) and north-western part (i.e. north of Tsuen Wan) of the New Territories. 

- Lantau taxis (blue) operate only on Lantau Island and Chek Lap Kok

We went to the third lane designated for blue taxi and we were the second in the queue. While there were plenty of red and green taxis already waiting, no blue taxis were available at that moment. We had to wait for one to arrive. Thankfully the wait was not too long, we got into the taxi within 5 minutes.

The taxi ride from the airport to our hotel was about 10 minutes drive and the fare was about HKD60 (or S$10.45). I spotted our hotel, Novotel Citygate Hong Kong, in front of the hill with the blue wordings.

Our room was situated at the furthest end from the lift lobby, right next to a large window. The lobby was a little dim with only spotlights from the doors and natural light streaming in from the window at the edge.

As we were outside our room, we were treated to this sea view from the large window at the side. With our time in Hong Kong limited to just two full days of exploration, one day in Disneyland and another day in central area, we chose to stay in Tung Chung, an area conveniently close to the airport and just two MTR stops away from Disneyland.

We stayed in standard room (28sqm) which was spacious by Hong Kong's hotel standards. It was a cosy room located minutes away from everything. Though it was a 10 minutes walk from Tung Chung station, the hotel was directly connected to Citygate Outlets mall, allowing us to shop along the way while heading to the MTR station.

The bathroom was quite spacious, featuring a well-thought-out layout. On the left, there was a bathtub accompanied by a rain shower. The basin was in the center and on the right was the toilet bowl. 

Right after turning left from the hotel lobby, Citygate Outlets mall came to sight, connected from two levels. Our hotel was close to QB House (level 1) and Tommy Hilfiger (level 2).

We initially planned to dine at a particular restaurant but it appeared to be closed for an event. With time ticking, we decided to dine at the first restaurant we passed by.

The first restaurant that we passed by was Banchan & Cook, a Korean restaurant with a fusion of Western and Japanese style. It was already 7.30pm and we did not want to waste any more time searching for food, so we decided to settle here.

Happenings in May - Amano

Saturday 25/5/24

We visited Amano, an Italian restaurant located at Namely Place in the area of Bukit Timah neighbourhood. The restaurant offers authentic flavours of Italian cuisine, featuring popular dishes such as pasta and pizzas.

There is currently a 1-for-1 promotion for pizza and pasta, making it quite worth it to order this. I had Capellini Bacon ($28++), but unfortunately, I found it to be quite normal and lacking in flavour.

The Warm Lava Cake ($13++) was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, creating a delightful combination. The lava cake was moist and filled with rich chocolate flavour.

Happenings in April - Aburi-En

Tuesday 9/4/24

We went Aburi-En for lunch at Chinatown Point. I had Mentaiko Chicken Don ($13.90++) where the deep-fried chicken was drizzled with mentaiko sauce. The creamy richness of the sauce enhanced the flavour with each bite.

Saturday 27/4/24

Despite my multiple visits, I make it a point to try new main course so that I can have different dining experience. Today I had Chicken Katsu Don ($13.90++), served together with miso soup. The chicken katsu had a nice contrast of textures with its crispy skin and juicy meat within.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Day 2 and 3: Inside Scoop + Starbucks Reserve

Saturday 30/3/24

It was 7.15pm when we finished the tour of Petronas Twin Towers. The first thing we did was to look for food at Suria KLCC. However, every restaurant we went was fully seated. It was the Ramadan period so many have break fast and came out for food. We wanted to venture elsewhere but it was raining, making us retreat back to the mall. In the end, we had dessert for dinner instead.

We finally settled for Inside Scoop at 7.50pm, an artisanal ice cream located at the basement, offering a delightful array of ice cream flavour. It was more to cater for take go order, so the shop only provided seating for less than 10 pax who prefer to dine in. We were lucky to find two seats.

Since this was supposed to be our dinner, we ordered one each for ourselves. I had Lotus Biscott Croffle with Lotus Biscott Cheesecake Ice Cream at RM20 (or S$6.67). The fluffy croffle was enhanced with chocolate bits that added a good crunch to the croffle base, each mouthful was a symphony of textures. The drizzled sauce gave a nice sweetness to the overall flavour. 

Inside Scoop

Concourse Level, Petronas Twin Tower, No. OSC02, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hours: 10am to 10pm daily

We then went to Cold Storage to get cake roll for our breakfast in hotel tomorrow. 

It was 9pm when we wanted to leave the mall. Although our hotel was only 10 minutes walk away, our legs were already feel tired from all the 16km walk today. 3 minutes walk away from Suria KLCC was Starbucks Reserve at Four Seasons Place, we decided to take a short rest there before walking the remaining 7 minutes back to hotel.

Since we were not feeling full from the dessert, we had another round at Starbucks Reserve. I had Chic O Cheese with Nacho Cheese at RM11.44 (or S$3.81), a buttery and flaky Danish with airy texture filled with cheesy chicken sausage.

We had a 45 minutes rest over here until it was nearly 10pm. It was drizzling, making us felt reluctant to leave, but with closing time approaching, we decided to embrace the drizzle and walked back to our hotel.

Starbucks Reserve

Level 4a, no, Lot 1, Ground Floor at Shoppes at Four Seasons Place, 145, Jln Ampang, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hours: 7.30am to 10pm from Mon to Fri, 9am to 10pm on Sat and Sun

We were greeted by a clean room when we returned back to hotel. Our room was serviced twice a day. I noticed when we went back in the afternoon, it was already cleaned up. When we returned back at night, the room was being tidy up again.

Sunday 31/3/24

Despite feeling tired, I found myself hard to sleep, awake and dozed off throughout the night. I was awake at 5.45am and snoozed until 6 plus.

It was 7.30am and ready to have my Milk Baumkuchen spit cake gotten from Cold Storage last night at  RM6.35 (or $2.12). 

Infused with milk flavour, the cake had a light sweetness, a chewy and moist texture. It was absolutely delicious. This cake should be able to fill my tummy until I reach airport later.

It was nearly 8am and we were ready to check out of our room. Here's my baggage for the short getaway. In fact, I still have some space left in my bag, I shall go to airport and pick up a few more things before departing.

We took a grab to Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 at RM65 (or $21.67). There was no jam on the way, we reached airport at 8.40am.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Day 2: Petronas Twin Towers

Since it was raining, we decided to rest in hotel and forgo our plan. After a 50 minutes rest, we left our room at 4.45pm when the rain has stopped, ready to head out to KLCC Park.

I took a photo of the daytime scenery of this location today, contrasting it with the night view I took yesterday. The night view seemed to be more impressive with Petronas Twin Towers lighted under the night sky.

Back at the lake of KLCC Park felt like stepping into what we experienced from yesterday - a déjà vu. Many visitors were lounging around the urban space, basking in the relax ambience.

The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers stand at a height of 451.9m. There is a double-decker skybridge that acts as the connector between the two towers on level 41 and 42.

When I was looking up at the stainless steel and glass finishing building at the foot of the tower, I felt like a dwarf standing besides a giant tower that looked so intimidating.

Since our main agenda of coming to Kuala Lumpur (KL) was to witness the Petronas Twin Towers, we have pre-booked the tickets to tour the tower at 6.15pm. Remember to purchase the ticket in advance due to limited slot per session and tickets. When we were there, the only ticket available was for next Tuesday slot.

We proceeded up the tower in batches based on the colour coded stickers given to us. Our first stop was a lift up to the Skybridge at level 41. We were treated to the view of KLCC park and ongoing construction works at the other side.

KL in a glance. 

There were many high rise buildings here with hill shape right at the back. The city view was breathtaking and definitely one of the best place to catch the sunset.

We took a lift up to the observation deck on level 86, we were greeted by a unobstructed view of the city enveloped by the hill. This viewpoint allowed us to enjoy the scenery of Malaysia's capital city, it was so impressive to look down at the city from the top.

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) Day 2: DOME Cafe + Zoo Negara + Dai Cha Dim

 Lately while traveling, I have been struggling to get a good sleep and it was quite frustrating. I find myself most of the time merely just closed my eyes to rest.

It was 6.40am and the sky was still dark, casting a stillness over the quiet street below.

The sun rose after 20 minutes at 7am, lighting up the sky with shades of gold, red and clouds tinged with purple rays. I was feeling excited to start the day with a list of places to cover.

As it was only 8.30am, breakfast options were limited. We only spotted McDonald, PAUL and DÔME Cafe opened at this hour. I chose DÔME Cafe as the other two choices are common in Singapore. I wanted to try something more unique here.

DÔME Café has a charming old-world European interiors that drew my attention as I passed by. The dome shaped ceiling seemed to contain some stories with the map of the ocean.

I had a cup of Hot Honey Lemon at RM16.04 (or $5.35) before tax. I found the amount of honey added was too sweet to my liking, a less sweetened version would be more preferred. The lemon slices helped to provide a touch of acidity and citrus flavour, balancing the sweetness.

DÔME Café served All-Day Breakfasts and for a lighter option, I decided on Eggs on Toast at RM15.09 (or $5.03) before tax. The bread was lightly toasted with crunchy crust, complementing the soft and creamy scrambled eggs.

The Intermark, 06, Jln Tun Razak, Kampung Datuk Keramat, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hours: 8am to 10pm daily

Majority of the shops were still closed by the time we finished our breakfast at 9.15am. I chanced upon Big Pharmacy which had start operation and went in to check in out. I got a box of Chocolate Butter Cookies at RM11 (or $3.67).

Kuala Lumpur (KL) is known for their abundance shopping destinations and amazing food scenes. Beyond these, the vibrant city has other attractions and interesting places to explore. Being a typical tourist, I went to check out these attractions. One of the places I found was Zoo Negara which was 20 minutes drive away from our hotel, we took a Grab ride and the fare was RM24 (or $8).

We reached Zoo Negera at about 10.35am. The zoo covered 110 acres of land with over 5137 specimen from 476 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Despite a number of visitors visited the zoo like us, the zoo did not feel overcrowded, allowing us to explore at a leisurely pace.

I had Signature Milk Tea at RM7.80 (or $2.60) before tax. The milk tea has a smooth and robust flavour, with the signature taste in every sip.

I had Curry Pork Chop Rice at RM24.80 (or $8.27) before tax. It came with generous portion of pork chop and curry filling the plate, and a fried egg placed crowned the rice. Break the egg yolk apart for a silky and creamy texture.

Lot 6 . 01 . 03, 168, Jln Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Operating hours: 10am to 10pm daily

After the lunch, we spent the next 1.5 hours to shopping. One place I knew I will spend my money at was their supermarket, I always love exploring supermarket when traveling. It was hard to resist buying various snacks to try and share with others. I spent RM102.97 (or $34.32) at Mercato Supermarket. 

We decided to grab back to our hotel at 3.40pm to drop off our shopping bag before proceeding to our next destination. The journey was about 10 minutes drive and the fare was just RM8 (or $2.67). However, halfway through the ride, it began to rain and disrupted our next outdoor exploration plan.