Tai Ping Koon Restaurant

When I was in Hong Kong went to this restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui. Apparently its been there since 1800 and is very popular.

I went there just for their signature dishes. We waited for about 40 minutes to be seated, it was packed!
We had;  soufflé, chicken wings in a Swiss sauce and stir fried beef ho fun.

Yes, I know you can have stir fried beef ho fun any where. My cousin and I had a little arguement when we were ordering. Because she didn't want to order the ho fun since you can have it anywhere whereas the chicken wings are more worth it. But I insisted I wanted it! Why? Because its their signature dish! lol. We had both in the end anyway.

Was the ho fun any different than the typical stir fried beef ho fun? Yes! The ho fun wasn't too soft, it had a good texture. Some places put a lot of soya sauce in it, but no they had the right amount. Good aroma! It was just nice! (It could be just me thinking it's all that lol, I don't think my cousin felt the same way) I'll give this dish 4/5, I enjoyed it alot- I'm talking like I've never had stir fried beef ho fun before.

I was a little disappointed with the chicken wings, it wasn't that special. It just tasted like the regular soya chicken wings that my mum would make (a very common Chinese dish). The swiss sauce was basically soya sauce to me. So I will rate this 2.5/5.
After finishing the two dish, I was still very hungry. But of course we still had the soufflé on the way. That was the highlight of the night! lol. Not just any regular soufflé, but a massive one.

 Its bigger than my head as you can see. This is another signature dish. It was quite rich, and very soft. The only downside with the soufflé was that it wasn't fully cooked. Because it was so big, it was difficult for the bottom part to cook. It was like eating air. Also, they probably shortened the cooking time since the restaurant was so busy. And guess what? It filled me right up, and we couldn't finish it.

Yep, we left quite a lot :( and I'll give this a 3.5/5 since it wasn't cooked properly, I couldn't enjoy it properly. Also, the service wasn't too good. I found some of the waiter quite rude.

You will find this in Tsim Sha Tsui, 40 Granville Road.

Michelin awarded Dim Sum restuarant

Before I went to Hong Kong, I did my research for best food places. And found a dim sum restaurant owned by a man who used to be a head chef in a 5* hotel. Below is a picture of the restaurant, its called 'Add luck dim sum shop'.

Yes, no lie that is the one. You was probably expecting a classy restaurant if it's a Michelin awarded restaurant. lol But you know sometimes, its the small and hidden places that are good. All those people you see in the picture are actually waiting to get in. Waiting time was 2 hours, no lie but it was worth the wait though.

Ok, yes its the typical Har Gau (Prawn Dumplings) and Pork Cheurng Fun. The white pastry or whatever you call it lol are really thin so it doesn't feel like you're eating a mouthful of pastry but a mouthful of the fillings. I would rate the roast pork cheurng fun 3/5 because it had some coriander in it which I hate. The prawn dumplings 5/5.

These 'siu my' (pork dumplings- i think that's what they're called in English lol) actually have a whole prawn at the bottom in each of them and a bit of pork on top. Usually, in most restaurant they put a little bit of prawn and mix it with pork fat. I know sounds nasty huh? but it does taste nice though still lol.
I would rate these 4/5.

OMDs!! These pork bun were the best! Its topped with some sweet crust and filled with some juicy honey roast pork. MUST HAVE...I mean must EAT!! And of course I would give this 5/5..no 6/5 lol

There's another branch in Sham shui po, that one is better because its bigger and has some extra dishes. The quality of food is the same as the one in Mong Kok though. Again it is hidden, its not in a nice classy road.

Only the Sham shui po branch does this, swallow saliva and braised egg. The bits on the top is the swallow saliva, and no its not in a liquid form like pumped out from the bird for those who never heard it lol. You can buy them from those Chinese herbal shops in Hong Kong and you find them in a nest shape. A very expensive product you know, they can cost up to £1000. Back this dessert I had, I would rate it 3/5 because it had a wierd taste to it, tasted a little bit like bleach. This was kind of pricey, $45 which is about £5.

Glutinous Rice wrapped in bamboo leaves I think lol. It was very nice but wasn't that special. Not much different from other places. I would rate this 4/5.

I like how this place doesn't bombard you with 100s of dim sum. There's only about 16 to choose from and obviously its all the main dim sum with few extra bits. If you want to have some exclusive dim sum (ones that are not on the menu) you have to book a room in the Sum Shui Po branch in advance. I think they said you have to spend a minimum $1000. You can find them at:

Mong Kok Branch: Flat 8,G/F Phase 2, Tsui Yuen Mansion, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street. Tel: 2332 2896
Sham Shui Po Branch: G/F, 9-11 Fuk Wing Street. Tel: 2788 1226

What if...maybe this wouldn't have happened?

'What if I said no, this pobably wouldn't have happened?'
'What if I told her/him straight away, maybe this wouldn't end up like this'
'What if I wasn't with him, it wouldn't have happened.'
'What if I tired harder, the result probably wouldn't be like this.'
'What if... what if...'

Have you ever thought back about certain incidents and predict the possible result IF you did something different? I used to always do that...'what if...'

But I try not to anymore because everything happens for a reason. Certain people are in and out of our life for a reason. Our personality is shaped by our experiences. If we didn't go through certain situations, we wouldn't be the person we are today.

I just think to myself maybe it was good thing it happened, because it made me learn from it, grow up, understand that nothing is perfect, its not a perfect and simple world out there, know certain people more, etc. Also, time will show what and who really matters.

A good example of mine is when I was in my first relationship. I really believed that he was going to be my husband, father of my kids and spend the rest of my life with him. At the time that is how it felt. My parents was like 'its not going to last, we know that you think its going to last forever because we've been through it too! Its always like that with first relationship.' I didn't believe them, I was just thinking ' what do you know, its a new generation.' lol. And yes they were right! After we broke up, it was like a reality check!  I thought to myself  'what was I thinking? No way could I have spend the rest of my life with someone like that!' Lol. At first I did regret that I had this relationship for so long- waste of my time! But I don't regret it anymore because if I didn't have that relationship I wouldn't know what a good and bad relationship is, what it's like to be in a relationship, the role of a girlfriend and of course changed my perception of life.(Not that I know a lot, but at least I know something)  Oh! I'm not saying it applies to everyone because I know some are married to their first boyfriend. All I can say is relationship is a massive life lesson.

The other day at work, an old man said to me that I shouldn't ever regret anything because at least I know what it's like after I've done it and if it was bad just don't do it again. Its true but sometimes I guess we do forget lol.


Of course there are many other things that teaches us a lesson; work, family problems, school, friends, holiday, lots more...you name it. Of course not every experience is a bad one, a good one still can teach us many things. But we just need to always look on the bright/ positive side. No matter how bad a situation is, there is always a positive side to it. E.g. You gamble in a casino and lose all your money, and that teaches you not to gamble again! lol. maybe thats not a good example but you know what I mean! Just don't regret anything. If you do, don't be too long make it short and move on!

Missha- check out this Korean cosmetic brand!

I went on holiday to Hong Kong for 2 weeks and of course I did lots of shopping. This time I made sure, I did  something useful when I was out there. I applied for a basic level make-up course with Missha ( a popular Korean comestic brand). I had to take a test in order to get a certificate! I can't show you the certificate yet because they spelt my name wrong so I have to wait for a new one. I hope my mum won't forget to pick it up or crease it!

After this make-up course, I decided I wanted to buy my very first full make-up collection with those make-up brushes! Yes, I'm a newbie! :) I've always wanted a set of brushes and a big collection of make-up in those cosmetic box because it feels so professional and cool. lol

I bought almost everything we used in class from Missha; Primer, BB Cream (a type of liquid foundation), loose powder, pencil eyeliner, liquid eyeliner, eye shadow base pen, foundation brush, eye shadow brush and loose powder brush. (It's not a full make-up set but I wanted to buy other stuff from other brands)

Image Above: This is a BB Boomer which is a Primer (acts as a foundation base). It's very light, feels like lotion when you're applying it on. It says it boost the adherence and duration of BB cream ( a type of liquid foundation) and makes your skin look brighter when applied before the BB Cream. When you put this on, you can see it makes your skin glow instantly.

I bought two different tones of BB Cream; one is a natural yellow beige (left) and the other is a golden beige(right). Both has the effect of UV blocking, one with SPF 25 and the other SPF 42.

I tried the golden beige to see if it would give me a tanned look. It did, it didn't make me look orange or fake, it looked very natural. As for the natural yellow beige, it just made my skin look flawless.

When you first apply BB Cream to your skin, it will look a shade darker but it will gradually blend into your natural skin colour and evens out your skin tone. You don't need to apply lots, a thin layer is enough. It also has a concealer effect, so there's no need to put concealer on after unless you really need to.

Some of you may not know what BB Cream is. It is a type of liquid foundation from Korea. It is very popular around Asia. It has a multi-function of high UV blocking effect, whitening and wrinkle care.

For those who like to be tanned may avoid high SPF however you need to know  there's a hole in the ozone layer and so UV rays are lot stronger giving us skin cancer,dark spots, skin ageing quicker. High SPF means you will be protected from getting those or at least reducing them.

This loose powder also has UV blocking effect with SPF 15. It is very light and makes your skin look flawless and smooth. This is a natural beige colour. I tried to use it on top of the Golden beige BB Cream to see if it would lighten the tan look. No, it didn't! It made my look even better, flawless and smooth. Just like those airbrush effect.

Shining stick eye, this extends the duration of the eye shadow and gives your eye make up a more 3D effect.

Black and brown water-proof eye liner. They are really good and lasts very long and very easy to apply on.

This liquid eyeliner is like a felt tip pen so makes it easier to apply on to your eye, very easy to control and it dries quick! If you're a beginner with liquid eyeliner like myself, this is the one for you. However, practice is still needed.

Safe Block- this is to be applied after you've applied lotion/moisturizer.

Like it says on the package, its a sun block cream for the face with SPF 50. Obviously, this is more suitable for when you're in hot countries (ideally you should be wearing sun block with SPF 30 in the UK).*Edit* Some may think its wierd that I said SPF 30 in UK because we don't get sun a lot. But UV rays are not visible remember lol. They are getting stronger now. Some celebrities are wearing moisturiser with SPF 30 you see!

The sun block cream is waterproof so it is ideal for when your doing sports. Get yourself protected! Not just ladies, but guys too. So tell your dad, partner, brother, friend, etc.

This eye gel mask, is quite good. I would rate it 4 out 5. Apparently, it is supposed to get rid of your dark circles IF you do it everyday. I haven't done it everyday because I've only got one pack and you can't get this product here. So, I'm not sure if it does but I can say it does make your bags less visible and gets rid of puffiness underneath the eye. Its affordable, $230 for 15 eye masks which is approx. £21.

I didn't buy alot from Missha because I was trying to save money for the rest of my holiday lol. Anyways, stayed tuned for more goodies stuff about my holiday in Hong Kong.

Part 5: Get those sexy fine legs and bootay!

Hey guys, previous blog was on upper body workout, this blog is obviously on your lower body. Enjoy!

Get those fine toned legs!

We all know squats and lunges are a must for our legs and bum.

Squat- 15-20 reps

• Stand shoulder width apart
• Slowly squat down as if you're sitting down on an invisible chair
• Hold for a few seconds and go back to starting position 

Lunges- 20 rep

• Put one leg slightly in front of you and the other leg behind you.
• In this position slowly bend your back leg and go down towards the floor with knee almost touching the floor.
• Your front leg should be bent but do allow the knee to go further than your toes, keep it bent in a 90 angle.
• Slowly come back up and repeat.
• Swap legs and do the same thing.

If you find it easy you can hold some weights in your hands.

Tone your legs with weights
Leg curl machine- you find this in most gym where you sit down and place your leg out straight on a bar in front of you and push it down with your leg and then release it back up- see below.


  

Image from keywesttanningandfitness.com

Leg extension machine where you do the opposite, you place your legs behind the bar and push the bar up with your legs. see below 

Image from squidoo.com

Start off with light weights, I usually do 10kg- high reps (35-40 reps)
2nd set move to a little more heavier- 15 kg or 20 kg (25 reps)
3rd set heavy weight, I usually do 30kg -something that you can manage (15 reps)

The weights obviously depends on your own ability, if you have weak legs or a beginner start off with very light weights and just work your way up.

Other exercises that will give you those sexy toned legs are running, cycling and cross trainer.  

To get lean and long looking muscles on your leg, stretching them often will be good. Therefore, exercises like yoga and pilates will be a good idea.

Get a J-Lo bum... or is it a Kim Kardashian bum that people want now, because I do. Lol!

Running, cross trainer, stepping machine, squats and lunges are great for toning and lifting your bum.
  

Weight exercises

Most gym would have the hip abductor. You sit down and you will have to push out with your legs. Not only will it work your bum muscles but also your outer thigh muscles. So tones both parts.

Image from health-act.net

Leg Press machine- This is one of my favourites!
It works both your leg and butt.

Image from homegymcentral.com

Butt Bridge

• Sit in front of a bench (I don’t have a bench at home so I usually use my bed), lean your back against it.
• Bend your knees slightly so your feet are flat on the floor.
• Lean back so your head and neck are touching the bed/bench. Lift your mid-section and butt upward until your body forms an arch/bridge. Keep your feet below your butt.
• Squeeze your butt as hard as you can for 5 seconds and release it.
• Slowly place your butt down to the ground and lift your stomach up again and squeeze.

Repeat 15 times.

Bulgarian split- will lift and tone your butt.

Image from yourpartnerforchange.com

• You will need a chair or bench. Stand in front of it but with your back to it.
• Place the front of your foot on the bench/chair. It’s a bit like doing the lunges but your back leg is lifted up.
• Bend your front leg but do not let your knee go past your toes, so make sure when bending your front leg, its 90 degrees. The back leg, the knee should be almost touching the floor but not touching. You should feel one side of your butt squeezing.
• Do about 10-15 rep and swap legs. After a while if you find it too easy, you can make it harder by holding weights in your hands while you’re doing it.

So that's it! Of course there are a lot more workout for each body parts, and depends on which ones you prefer and works best for you. 

Part 4: Upper body workout!

Sorry guys, was meant to post this earlier but I have been on holiday and was too lazy to write a new blog when I got back. But like I said in my previous blog, this one is about the workout for women. I’ll probably do a blog on men’s workout next time; I’ll get my boyfriend to help me with that. I'll blog about lower body workout  next time.

To get rid of fat/ lose weight, cardio is the best full body workout. So you will need to hit the treadmill, cross-trainer and cycling. To get your body in shape quicker, you need to involve some weight in your workout. Ladies, I know some of you may be thinking that you will get bulky arms and body if you touch the weights. That’s what I used to think until my boyfriend told me that it won’t happen unless I start lifting really heavy weights and eat lots. Since then I’ve been using weights for most parts of my body and has helped me get into a better shape and quicker. So it's light weights remember!

Arms- To get some nice sculpt arms you need to be working both triceps and biceps but we girls tend to concentrate more on our triceps -bingo wings!

Rowing machine is good for the arms and when you use the cross-trainer move it with your arms.

To get rid of BINGO WINGS or just to tighten your triceps, weights are really good.

 Method 1.

• Hold one dumbbell (if you don't have dumbbells use a filled bottle of water and higher reps) in one arm (if you have weak arms start off with 2kg)
• Lay down on a bench or somewhere flat and firm.
• Lift the arm that is holding the dumbbell up straight from your body and the other hand laying across your body underneath your other arm.
• Keeping your elbow up and arm straight, move the dumbbell down across to your shoulder (so you’re moving your forearm down)
• Lift it back up straight and repeat for 15 times and swap arms.

 I would say do 2 sets of 15 on each arm.

 Method 2.

• Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place it behind your back- so your elbow should be facing upwards.
• Lift the dumbbell in the direction towards the sky slowly and slowly back down to your back.
• Repeat 15 times and switch hands. Do 2 sets of 15 on each arm.

Chair push up (something that you can do at home)

• Place both arms on the side of the seat, so you’re pressing down on the chair.
• Keep back and legs straight, so it’s like a straight line (Plank). 
• Slowly press down and then back up. 15-20 reps

Pull ups and dips are great too!

Waist
Running machine or cross trainer will help you lose fat around your waist.

Tone your waist with weights

• Take one dumbbell in one hand and put the other hand behind your back.
• Stand shoulder width apart.  
• Lean to the side where the dumbbell is, the dumbbell should go as far down as your knee 
• Lean back up and lean to the other side but not as low.
• Do 15 rep and swap the dumbbell to the other hand. I usually do 3 sets.

You should feel pains when you first do it, so don’t go too far down the first time as you may not be that flexible around your waist. You would also feel pains the following day, its ok it means its toning up, just stretch the muscle around your waist.

Another way is doing the side sit ups or whatever they're called.

• Lie on your side with your legs curled up but face your upper body upwards.
• Move your upper body body like your doing the sit ups.
• Do 30 reps and lie on your other side to work the other side of your waist

Stomach

We all know crunches and sit ups will give you that tone stomach but make sure you lose those fat in your belly before trying to those killer abs otherwise your stomach will look even if its toned. Cardio like running and spinning is a good for your stomach.

The hula hoop! That works your waist and stomach, tones them both really well. When I was 13/14, I used to do the hula hoop and my waist was hard, stomach was hard! Lol. Maybe that didn’t sound too nice, they were really toned basically! But I stopped doing it when I got to 16 because my mum threw it away, maybe I should get a new one thinking about it now.

That's it for now, next blog on lower body workout will be out very soon. I won't be long it.