The Fireplace at the Hyatt in Manila

February is one of my favorite months of the year. Why? It's my birthday month! That's right, month. I like to milk the celebrations and use it as an excuse to eat out and enjoy life even more.

On my actual birthday, my family and I were adventurous for something new. So we tried out The Fireplace at the Hyatt Hotel along the Manila Bay. We also pass the restaurant when we go to Li Li, the Chinese restaurant. The Fireplace is well decorated and highlights their fireplace, in which they cook most of the proteins.

Overall, the food was pretty good, along with the service. But, the prices are steep especially compared to what you can get at other steak houses in this area. Also, at the end of the meal, we asked for a piece of bread to take home and the kitchen refused. Despite what we paid, they insisted we pay for a tiny piece of bread! More on that under the "Notes" on the bread picture on the slide show below. After an incident like that, we're not too inspired to ever go back. Repeat customers come back because of the overall experience.

Place your cursor above "Notes" as some of the pictures have a caption.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.

Paella at Home

My mom's signature dishes, even if she describes them as "party food", are my all time favorite comfort foods.

After coming from a trip and eating out a lot, it's really enjoyable to stay in and enjoy a high quality meal at home. One of my mom's signature dishes is her paella. I totally believe I'm not saying this because she's my mom, but I think she's got one of the best paella's out there. We've tried so many across Spain and the U.S., and they don't come close. Not even Jose Andres's paella is as good as my mom's. It's a bold statement, but I stand by it. Perhaps Chef Andres should accept my BFF invitation (and BFF invitation, part 2) and try out my mom's paella!

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.

Hong Kong Museum of History

Whether it's a city I live in or a city I'm visiting, I love going to museums! The whole activity of going to a museum takes you away from the routine of every day life and the chaos from city life. For those quiet hours, you get to jump into the culture you are exploring. It's not just through traveling, but also in these museums that you learn so much about culture and life.

For a late morning activity before lunch, and instead of the usual shopping or eating, I visiting the Hong Kong Museum of History in Tsim Sha Tsui. If you have a couple hours and find yourself curious about the history of Hong Kong, I highly recommend this museum! But, if you go on a weekday get ready for loud and chaotic school kids running around.

These are some of the food related pictures from the museum:

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.

Dining at the W in Hong Kong

What I love about staying at nice hotels is that, more often than not, the hotel restaurants are really good. In our latest stay in the W Hotel in Hong Kong, their newest restaurant opened. Sing Yin serves traditional Cantonese cuisine in a contemporary atmosphere. The prices are definitely hotel prices, so it will likely attract more tourists and expats than locals. The food, though, is authentic and quality. They served one excellent and generous plate of roast goose! A memorable plate like that makes me tempted to go back again another time.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.

Hot Pot in Hong Kong!

I love the change of seasons. The weather changes, the scenery changes.. and the food changes! Seasonal ingredients and seasonal meals.

When the weather gets colder in Hong Kong, people bulk up in their jackets and coats, and they head in groups to enjoy some hot pot. Growing up, I've been more accustomed to Japanese Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki. To experience hot pot in Hong Kong is such a treat!

My best friend, who is a great guide for local eating, took me to a local place in Wan Chai called Tack Hsin (the site is all in Chinese. This review is pretty good if you want to see an English write up).

What I loved about this style of hot pot is that you get to choose your base broth. When the broth comes out in the middle of the table, it's already so delicious. This is a list of broths offered.

I hope the weather is still cold the next time I'm in Hong Kong! I can't wait to discover more local eats!

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slide show here.