Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Dim sum delight onboard! I hadn't planned for a trip to Jeju Island during the exchange programme until I saw a promotion on Facebook in early May which stated that KA had just launched a new direct route from HKG to CJU, which, to date, is the longest available flight to reach Jeju Island with a duration of 3 hours and 15 minutes. First, I'd never been to Jeju Island before, and second, I'd never flown with KA before, so there was no reason not to visit one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature! :D

Sweet Singapore Sling onboard! I've been flying with SQ for the past 7 years or so, and no doubt, it's still one of my most favourite airlines to date. It was the medium-haul flight to HK (brunch menu) which marked the start of my journey as an exchange student that I'm going to share with you today, as well as the short-haul flight to Jakarta (breakfast menu) which ended it all to showcase the catering in Singapore.

Gobble up the deviled chicken steak! To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what does UC stands for, but I suppose it's University Centre. It's a comfy eatery serving mostly Western dishes. Next to the eatery is the Uni-Bar which offers snacks and alcoholic drinks. Anyway, the food featured in this review will be the lunch sets.

Memorable coffee and milk pudding! 4 June 2012: It was the last evening spent in HK during the exchange programme. Before I went home, I'd already promised to myself that I had to dine at the posh Chinese Restaurant in HKUST which features mostly Northern and Southern Chinese cuisine at affordable prices. In fact, the restaurant is the place where local professors usually invite visiting professors, scholars, etc. to dine and chit-chat.

One Michelin Star: wonderful har gow! Today's review is gonna be a long one. The rival of another 2012 One Michelin Star dim sum eatery which I've reviewed: Tim Ho Wan , One Dim Sum offers a wider variety of items. Well, after I completed my exchange programme in HK, I said to myself, "So much for dim sum , for now." However, as I looked through the pictures last night to prepare for this review, my stomach kept grumbling. "FEED ME!" :P

The biggest scallop I've ever eaten! The eatery may be a bit difficult to reach, and it's certainly not a very spacious one, but I really enjoyed the food offered by Café Cape located somewhere in Sha Tin. There was a Set Meal for Two promotion the other day priced at HK$288.00 (~S$48.00) comprising all of the following food items I'm going to show you (one for each person), save for the dessert.

Velvety passion fruit cake! "Did you go to Addis Ababa!?" was the response of one of my friends when I told her that I flew with Ethiopian Airlines. Nope, I didn't go to Africa (I'd really love to in the future!), but indeed it was my first time flying with an African carrier. Since the trip to Bangkok was quite a sudden plan (I even skipped lessons in late April), it was quite a challenge to get a flight ticket. However, I was delighted to find Ethiopian Airlines offering quite an attractive fare, and the fact that it's a member of the Star Alliance means additional KrisFlyer miles! :)  

Whipped cream with maple syrup, anyone? :P Royal View Resort (3*) may look mundane from the outside, but I was pretty impressed with the clean, spacious room (for the relatively cheap price paid) and the service rendered by the hotel staff. It's located within walking distance to King Power Duty Free Complex, Victory Monument and its corresponding BTS station.

Mouth-watering mango salad... How hot you want it to be? First of all, happy birthday, Singapore! "Night fall, stars twinkling on the bay / My dreams can take flight if I dare / There’s a feeling that binds us one and all / We look forward to a brighter day." :) Alright, during my Bangkok trip, I've seen quite a number of Yum Saap branches which serve Thai food. I came across one of the branches when I was walking around inside MBK Centre which is very popular among tourists.

Har gow with embellishments! As I strolled down Yaowarat Road in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, I observed the endless row of restaurants. Since I had eaten too much for breakfast, I was looking for a simple lunch. When I saw the menu, I couldn't help but say this to myself, "Wow, this is gonna be the cheapest dim sum meal in my life!"

Braised soy sauce egg so fragrant! First Hotel (3*) is more or less a self-contained hotel with a few restaurants, travel agencies and even a hair salon. Located within walking distance to the BTS Ratchathewi station, it has two buildings: the Main Wing and the newer Tower Wing.  

A nice start with lemongrass and fried fish salad! Most of the restaurants in Siam Paragon were full-house on a Saturday night, and the food court was even worse with groups of people waiting to occupy the seats of those who were about to finish their meals. However, I was lucky enough to get a seat in Taling Pling, a restaurant serving Thai food which has four branches in Bangkok.