DolceBunnie

Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts

Mira Moon (問月酒店) | Hong Kong, CHINA

We arrived in Hong Kong early in the morning after boarding a midnight flight with Cathay Pacific. Although the flight was pleasant and Minibun George slept the whole way, we were eager to check into the hotel to freshen up.

Sometimes I like to stay at uniquely designed boutiques hotels and having had a wonderful experience its equally savvy sister hotel, The Mira Hong Kong, we decided to try Mira Moon given that they offer a 24 hour check in service. The cab ride from Hong Kong International Airport to Mira Moon in Causeway Bay took a little more than half an hour on Saturday morning. Before we stopped at the hotel, the cab driver took a turn into an old residential area and my heart sank when I saw the entrance. It was anything but impressive and I say this in the most unsnobby way. There was no bellboy standing at the door waiting to take our luggage, instead, a pretty receptionist dressed in a traditional Chinese qipao came over to us (and awkwardly smiled when she saw our oversized luggage - never touched it). Never mind. I was attracted to the hotel because its décor is inspired by the Chinese fairytale of the Mood Goddess and her Jade Rabbit, so when I saw pictures of the rooms on the internet the Mira Moon was added to my list of places to stay straight away. Having said that, judging by what was in front of my eyes upon arrival I was not impressed.

We took the elevator up to the lobby only to find out that our room wasn’t ready and that we had to wait. Second strike and it had only been minutes since we set foot in the door. When we finally gained access to our room, the Half Moon Residence, I was a happy bunnie again. The room looked beautiful. It had ample natural light from its floor to ceiling windows and the traditional touch of wooden carving cabinets was sharply contrasted by the space age super-sized bed. Both the bathroom and the bedroom offered a partial view of Victoria Harbour and the view is especially beautiful at night when the harbour is glistening and neon-lights are dancing on the other side of the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui. The bathroom is equally as gorgeous with a free standing bathtub and a walk in rain shower, but the highlight has to be the breathtaking wall of mosaic peonies.

You would be disappointed if you’re expecting five star services from this hotel, but if you like uniquely designed hotels like me, you might find Mira Moon to be a nice quaint place to stay.

Bunnies’ travel note:

Bunnies’ Room Number: 2303 – Half Moon Residence

Number of Rooms: 91

Perks that we loved: complimentary mini bar

Check-in/check-out times: 3pm - noon

What we paid: $650AUD for two nights

Mini Bun friendly: Provided with a comfortable cot for minimal charge but that was where it ended

Australia Dairy Company （澳洲牛奶公司）| Hong Kong, CHINA

We didn't have long to spend in Hong Kong as it was only meant to be a short lay-over for us before we took a ferry across the sea to Macau to watch the world renowned production - House of the Dancing Water.

Our initial plan after dinner at Shang Palace was to jump into a cab, dance our hearts out at LKF, grab a late night supper at Tsui Wah Restaurant before crashing out on the comfy bed at the W. That never happened, because trust me, if you had seen the crazy cyclone that night, you would have made the same decision as us, go back to the hotel, soak in the tub and snooze.

I am however getting a little off the topic, but my point is, since we had a relatively early night, we woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed. I decided to drag the other travel bunnie out of bed to the Australia Dairy Company.

Located in the residential area of Jordan, Australia Dairy Company is known for their long queues, extremely bad service and chaotic ambience. Why did we go there? Well, I figured that if a place with such bad service can be so in demand, then there's got to be something unique about it.

We got there extremely early and didn't even have to queue, but we still had to share a tiny table with two other people. Not that I was complaining. The menu here is simple, for breakfast, there's the breakfast set ($28HKD) and a few other a la carte items can be ordered.

Both of us had the breakfast set which consisted of buttered white toast with scrambled eggs, macaroni and ham in chicken stock soup and your choice of tea or coffee (additional $2HKD if you want a cold drink). In addition to that, I also had a serve of their famous steamed milk custard ($23HKD).

The other travel bunnie wasn't too impressed with the breakfast and to be bluntly honest, I don't understand what the fuss is all about. However, having said that the scrambled eggs were buttery and silky smooth, and the steam milk custard was creamy and tasty. Would we go back again? Perhaps not, but it was good to experience a traditional cha chaan teng style breakfast.

Total Bunnie Dollars Spent: $83HKD

Shang Palace | Hong Kong, CHINA

As you all know, I'm not a fan of flying and as much as I enjoy eating, I could never thoroughly enjoy a meal in the sky. As a result, the other travel bunnie always makes sure that I'm well fed after a flight.

After our drinks at the Ozone in The Ritz Carlton, we took a short cab ride to the Kowloon Shangri-La, where the two Michelin starred Shang Palace is located.

Upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately taken away by its elegant oriental décor. The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine and the menu is nothing but an impressive affair.

Given the crazy cyclonic weather outside, we were in desperate need for something warm and calming so a pot of their private reserved 1994 Tie Guan Yin ($90HKD per person) did just that.

As for food, the sound of their sautéed sliced beef and shishito pepper with garlic in black bean sauce ($240HKD), roasted crispy goose ($200HKD) and sautéed assorted vegetables ($160HKD) was just too good to say no to and we also had a serve of the fried noodles with shredded pork, mushrooms and bean sprouts ($150HKD) to go with the meal. The portions weren't exceptionally large, but both the presentation and the taste of the dishes, much like the restaurant itself, were oh-so-fine.

It was hard to leave without having savoured their desserts. The dessert menu was like nothing I've seen here in Brisbane before and if I could, I would order almost everything off their menu, but eventually, I settled for the chilled sweetened pumpkin cream with coconut ice cream ($48HKD) and the other travel bunnie had the sweetened almond cream ($42HKD). We also received assorted traditional cantonese desserts with compliments of the chef. To this day, the chilled sweetened pumpkin cream with coconut ice cream remains as one of my all time favourite desserts.

The dinner at Shang Palace was exactly what we wanted. It was nothing over the top, just decent, traditional, but delicious food that satisfied our hungry stomachs after a long-haul flight.

Total bunnie dollars spent: $1,200HKD (all prices above were subject to 10% service charge)

W Hong Kong | Hong Kong, CHINA

W Hong Kong has been on the top of my hotels-to-stay list for a long, long time. Most people are drawn to its swimming pool on the 76th floor, being one of the world's highest rooftop swimming pools. As for me, I was immediately attracted to the hotel when I accidentally came across an Instagram photo taken from one of the hotel rooms. It was a photo of hundreds of colourful shipping containers berthed at the port of Hong Kong. Of course, I also love W's modern yet funky decor. For a five-star hotel that offers 393 guest rooms, it provides a surprisingly fresh boutiquey feel.

On the night of our arrival, Hong Kong was experiencing a Category 3 cyclone, so the speedy check-in provided by the hotel's efficient staff was the best welcome gesture we could ask for.

We had a Spectacular Room for the night. It was spacious and extremely comfortable. The hotel room was well equipped with everything from relaxing Bliss amenities to plush W bathrobes. I couldn't help myself but to have an indulgent soak in the tub while watching a Hong Kong soap opera on the bathroom's LCD screen, before stepping into the rainforest shower to get myself ready for bed.

The location of the hotel is extremely convenient with the Kowloon MTR Station and the lavish Elements shopping centre at the door where you'll find shops such as Chaumet, Harry Winston, Chanel and the like.

We both agreed that next time when we go to Hong Kong, we would stay at a hotel on the island instead, but W Hong Kong was the perfect lay-over hotel for our last visit.

Bunnies' travel notes:

Bunnies’ Room Number: 3206 – Spectacular Room

Number of Rooms and Suites: 393

Swimming pool: Yes

Check-in/check-out times: 3pm and 12pm

Price: $450+ AUD

Hotel Class: 5 Star