Pinoy Roadtrip

HONG KONG: ONE DIM SUM Restaurant: A Budget-friendly Michelin-Starred Dim sum Restaurant

February 3, 2014

HONG KONG: ONE DIM SUM Restaurant:
A Budget-friendly Michelin-Starred Dim sum Restaurant

When visiting Hong Kong, it's a must to eat dim sum. Our favorite dim sum place is Maxim's Restaurant at Hong Kong City Hall. But if you're in a big group, it will turn out to be a bit expensive to dine at this restaurant, especially since food is chosen from carts that go around the tables and allow guests to pick from them. Seeing the food from these carts can tempt anyone to try them and lead to overestimating the amount of food they can actually consume.

In my last visit to Hong Kong in October 2013, I wanted to eat dim sum again. But I wanted something as delicious as the dim sum at Maxim's restaurant but not as expensive. I found several blogs recommending One Dim Sum Restaurant so I visited this restaurant just to see for myself what the fuss is all about.

WHY I LOVE ONE DIM SUM Restaurant:

1. The food is really good.

Here is the menu:

Here are photos of the dishes we ate:

No. 028: Glutinous Rice Dumpling (HK$24)

No. 37: Steamed Rice Noodle in Barbecued Pork (HK$17)

No.11 (left): Steam Shrimp Dumplings (HK$ 22)

No. 9 (right): Steam Dumpling in Chiu Chow Style (HK$ 15)

No. 45: Steam Shrimp Dumpling with Vegetable Seedling (HK$ 18)

No 23: Steam Chicken Paws with Chili (HK$ 15)

No. 4: Barbecued Pork Bun (HK$ 13)

No. 17: Fried Egg Stick with Honey (HK$ 14)

2. The food is not expensive.

We spent a total of HK$138 for a meal good for 2-3 persons.

3. The restaurant is easy to find.

HOW TO FIND ONE DIM SUM RESTAURANT

1. It's located near Prince Edward Station.

View Hong Kong in a larger map

2. When you get out of Prince Edward Station. Below is what you will see. The restaurant is at the corner of Playing Field Road and Tung Choi Street. The red canopy is One Dim Sum Restaurant.

3. One Dim Sum Restaurant is located at Kenwood Mansion.

HOW TO ORDER AT ONE DIM SUM RESTAURANT:

Approach this lady receptionist at the entrance of the restaurant.
Get a stub to determine your order in line to enter the restaurant.

This is the stub I got.
The restaurant opened 11:00 AM. I was there 11:15 AM.
Yet I'm No. 85 in line.
The girl said it will be 30 minutes before I can be seated.

This is how you order from their menu.

MY TIPS:

FIRST TIP: Arrive off-hours, to avoid the lunchtime and dinnertime crowd, so you don't have to wait in line. For tourists who only wish to taste the food in this restaurant, the other blogs recommend arriving at 3:00 PM.

The line in front of the restaurant at 11:00 AM.

The place is small that's why there's a line outside the restaurant for people wanting to dine at this place. I am estimating this place can accommodate only 25 people.

SECOND TIP: If you arrive during lunchtime the way I did, it will take 30 minutes to be seated and 15 minutes to cook what you order, for a total of 45 minutes wait before eating. I suggest you order the food for take-out because wait time for take-out is only 15 minutes.

MORE PHOTOS OF ONE DIMSUM PLACE

Manila International Airport Lounge: The MIASCOR Lounge (NAIA Terminal 1)

February 2, 2014

Manila International Airport Lounge:

The MIASCOR Lounge (NAIA Terminal 1)

In October 2013, when I took an international flight from NAIA Terminal 1, I was able to use the MIASCOR Lounge courtesy of my American Express Platinum card. The American Express Platinum card allows the cardholder (whether main or supplementary) plus 1 companion FREE entry to the MIASCOR lounge. For more details on this American Express card benefit, check it out here. It doesn't matter what airlines you use or what passenger class you're in, you can use this lounge as long as you're an American Express platinum cardholder, or a companion of a cardholder.

Select Citibank credit cards and accounts also offer this benefit for a limited time. For more details, check it out here.

Where it is located

NAIA Terminal 1, beside the entrance of Gate 9

The arrow shows the entrance of MIASCOR lounge

Hours of Operation:

24 hours, 7 days a week

The counter where you present your credit card.

There are two lines in the counter:

1. for credit card holders

2. for business class passengers

Procedure for Entry:

1. Present your American Express platinum card and your boarding pass to the counter in front.

2. Sign the logbook.

3. You are given the Wifi password.

4. Then you are allowed to enter the lounge.

Layout of the MIASCOR Lounge

AMENITIES at the MIASCOR Lounge

FREE FOOD AND DRINKS

Soft bread, pan de sal, chicken and rice, pad thai

Pastries, chicken congee and drinks section

Sandwiches, pastries, cereal, butter and jam

Drinks: juice, softdrinks, beer.
At the left (not shown) brewed and instant coffee and water

Wine and liquor
Chicken congee with assorted condiments

SPACIOUS LOUNGE

FREE WIFI

FREE NEWSPAPERS

CABLE TV

MALE AND FEMALE RESTROOMS WITH SHOWER

FLIGHT INFORMATION AND PAGING SYSTEM

The receptionists at the counter inform you when it's time to board the aircraft.

BUSINESS CENTER

There are computers with internet available for use.

MY TIP:
Make sure to arrive at the airport AT LEAST THREE (3) hours before your flight to be able to use this lounge. One (1) hour is spent checking-in and going through immigration, an hour and a half (1 1/2) to eat at the lounge and the remaining 30 minutes is for boarding.

If your airline departs from NAIA Terminal 1, you can use this lounge even if you're an economy class passenger if you are a cardholder of the American Express Platinum credit card.

Related news:

MIASCOR LOUNGE opens a pay VIP lounge at Davao airport: Read more here

PAMPANGA: Where to buy Kapampangan Tamales

January 19, 2014

PAMPANGA: Where to buy Kapampangan Tamales

What is the Kapampangan Tamales?

The Kapampangan Tamales is a Filipino dish originating from the province of Pampanga. It is made of ground rice, peanut and coconut milk cooked into a paste and then wrapped with meat, usually chicken and egg, in banana leaves then boiled.

This is a totally different dish from the Mexican tamales both in flavor and ingredients. The only similarity is the way it's cooked. The ingredients are wrapped in banana leaves and boiled in water.

Where to buy the Kapampangan Tamales?

Residents of Pampanga usually have regular suppliers in markets or from home industries. For tourists like us, here are three places I discovered where you can find a regular supply.

RAZON'S OF GUAGUA RESTAURANT

MEGA CALTEX STATION at the North Luzon Expressway, Southbound Lane, after the San Fernando Exit

It's not Razon's restaurant who's selling the tamales. A vendor was allowed to put up a small stall/desk inside the restaurant and sell the tamales.

My tip: Be there from 11:00 AM onwards. The vendor arrives at 11:00 AM

View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map

PRICE: 70 pesos per tamales (if you're one of the first buyers, they give it at 50 pesos per piece as "buena mano" price for good luck)

SUSIE'S CUISINE
MacArthur Highway, San Fernando City

This is the branch where we bought our tamales. I'm not sure if other branches sell tamales too.

View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map

PRICE: 70 pesos per tamales

SAN GUILLERMO PARISH CHURCH

There's an ambulant vendor in front of the gates of the Church who's selling tamales. We found her there when we arrived around 1130 AM on a Sunday, but left before we finished visiting and exploring the Church. So we weren't able to buy tamales from her. Perhaps she sells the tamales when there's Mass.

View City of Sn Fernando in a larger map

My tip:

To me, the Kapampangan Tamales sold by the vendor inside Razon's of Guagua restaurant at Mega Caltex Station, NLEX tastes much better than the tamales sold by Susie's cuisine. This is not to say tamales sold by Susie's cuisine tastes bad. Susie's tamales tasted good too. I just prefer the tamales sold inside Razon's because it's less salty and more flavorful.

CASA XOCOLAT: Ending the Christmas Season at Our Favorite Restaurant

January 5, 2014

CASA XOCOLAT:

Ending the Christmas Season at Our Favorite Restaurant

It's the last day of our Christmas vacation and what do you think is the best way to end it? With pasta and lots of chocolate at our favorite chocolate restaurant. Yup, we're seated at the right corner in the photo above.