Fun Food Friday: Scones in Oman

Enjoying a swanky afternoon tea at Al Bustan Palace in Muscat, Oman

Fun Food Friday: A Meal With A View

The food at the Beachcomber Restaurant at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai is as wonderful as the view!

Fun Food Friday: Cendol

A refreshing, icy cendol in Penang, Malaysia.  No amount of coaxing could get B to try this one!

Lego Delight at In’s Point Mall, Hong Kong

B and I actually happened upon Lego paradise at In's Point Mall in Hong Kong by accident… We headed to the mall specifically to buy Daddy a souvenir at the Bruce Lee Club store on the second floor (http://www.bruceleeclub.com/) and found ourselves surrounded by the most amazing selection of Lego sets and figurines.

Having fun with our purchases

Unfortunately our visit was in the early afternoon and only a handful of shops were open.  But even with only a limited number of stores, the selection was amazing.  We found plenty of mini-figures and harder-to-find sets - at very reasonable prices, and many of the newer, easy-to-find sets were less expensive than sets we priced out at Toys R Us at Harbour City.  In addition to Lego, the shops were also full of new and vintage superhero action figures and other collectibles.

In’s Point Mall is located at 530-538 Nathan Road in Mong Kok.  If using the MTR, go to Yau Ma Tei Station and take exit A2.  Take the escalator or elevator up to the 1st and 2nd floors (if using a stroller, be aware the elevators are quite compact!).  The shops we visited accepted cash only.  From a cursory scan of shop hours, the ideal time to visit is after 4 pm on weekends or after 6 pm on weekdays when most of the shops open.  Many of the shops sold similar sets/figures so it is a good idea to bring a pen and paper and do a bit of price comparison between vendors.  I was so busy window shopping, I forgot to take pictures but this image from http://thebrickblogger.com/2012/05/lego-hong-kong/ gives a sense of the place.

Fun Food Friday: World's Best Egg Tarts

World's best egg tarts in Penang, Malaysia!  Yum!

Fun Food Friday: Whale Toast

We couldn't bring ourselves to try it but it looked intriguing!

A peaceful morning at the Hong Kong Zoo

The Hong Kong Zoo and Botanical Gardens is the 5.6 hectare home to more than 1,000 species of plants and over 500 animals including orangutans, lemurs and pythons.

Visiting at 7 am on New Year’s Day meant we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves with the exception of a few locals getting in their morning exercises.

If you are looking for a expansive Singapore Zoo-type experience, this is not it.  But with a children’s playground, aviaries, green house and gardens, and lots of animals to see, it’s a quaint and fun destination for little kids.  The zoo is clean and well-kept, and is so serene and quiet, it’s hard to believe it’s in the middle of Hong Kong.

Our taxi dropped us off at the Albany Road entrance of the zoo at about the mid-way point.  In hindsight, a better place to start would have been at one of the northwest entrances off of Glenealy Rd, since the zoo slopes steeply southwards, and wind our way down.

The green house and education centre opens at 9 am and the zoo and gardens open at 6 am every day.  Admission is free!  We were welcomed at the entrance by a large flight of stairs, so be aware there may be spots where you have to carry a stroller.

Fun Food Friday: Satay!

Chicken satay at the Newton Hawker Centre in Singapore.