Guess what I had for lunch today? Aarrgh... it's tim sum again! Sigh.. I told myself on Sunday that I will detox and avoid the delicious yet oily snacks for at least a month. But I succumbed today during lunch with my Indonesian Chinese friend, Ing. Initially, we were planning to go to Quan An Ngon (translated from Vietnamese means "a place where you can find a collection of delicious food") but had to make do with a nearby place since there was time constraint. When she suggested Sofitel Plaza Ming Palace Restaurant tim sum buffet.. I felt my willpower melting. This was my favourite tim sum place! And I happily agreed...
I ordered the famous fish congee together with my usual favourites e.g. char siew bao, har kow, an assortment of steamed and fried dumplings, chee cheong fun and stir fried vegetables. Dessert was fruits and egg tarts for me. The food was nicely presented in the bamboo containers and served warm, much to my liking. I definitely rate this place 4 thumbs up though there is a close contender at Hanoi Hotel (which lacks in the ambience but has equally tasty food).
After lunch, Ing and I decided to go shopping as we were both in the mood. She brought me to a place called "Euro Shoes" near Hanoi Towers, which (based on what the owner claimed) exports shoes for brands such as Mark and Spencer, Nine West, Next, etc to Europe. Well, we suspected that the shoes could be rejects (for minor defaults) because only one pair was available for each design. It very much depends on your luck whether you can find a pair that you like and of the right size. The prices were reasonable though. Ing found a pair of Nine West heels that cost VND 300,000 (SGD 30) that looked quite good on her! She didn't buy it eventually though...
Of course, just shopping around for shoes was not enough. Our next stop was Mango (the Spanish fashion brand) in Hanoi! Surprise, surprise! The Mango shop here is 3 storeys high and fairly well-stocked. I liked the summer collection a lot, as the colours were bright and cheery. The prices of Mango clothes in Hanoi are the same as Singapore (unlike Espirt where the prices in Hanoi are exorbitant!). Ing got two tops while I resisted. For someone who is not working, splurging on a top that costs SGD 60 is just not practical. But it was fun browsing and looking around. A few Singaporean suggested that I could bring the catalogue to a local tailor and ask them to make a dress or pants for me with a similar design. Well, I tried it once but failed. I was told to try the same tailor at least twice because the workmanship will be better the second time. Maybe... I guess I just enjoy the thrill of trying on clothes, hoping that they fit snugly, and buying those that fit immediately! Claps... Cheap thrill... In any case, if I ever succeed in getting a locally made Mango lookalike, I will definitely highlight it in my blog.. so keep your fingers crossed for me!
I ordered the famous fish congee together with my usual favourites e.g. char siew bao, har kow, an assortment of steamed and fried dumplings, chee cheong fun and stir fried vegetables. Dessert was fruits and egg tarts for me. The food was nicely presented in the bamboo containers and served warm, much to my liking. I definitely rate this place 4 thumbs up though there is a close contender at Hanoi Hotel (which lacks in the ambience but has equally tasty food).
After lunch, Ing and I decided to go shopping as we were both in the mood. She brought me to a place called "Euro Shoes" near Hanoi Towers, which (based on what the owner claimed) exports shoes for brands such as Mark and Spencer, Nine West, Next, etc to Europe. Well, we suspected that the shoes could be rejects (for minor defaults) because only one pair was available for each design. It very much depends on your luck whether you can find a pair that you like and of the right size. The prices were reasonable though. Ing found a pair of Nine West heels that cost VND 300,000 (SGD 30) that looked quite good on her! She didn't buy it eventually though...
Of course, just shopping around for shoes was not enough. Our next stop was Mango (the Spanish fashion brand) in Hanoi! Surprise, surprise! The Mango shop here is 3 storeys high and fairly well-stocked. I liked the summer collection a lot, as the colours were bright and cheery. The prices of Mango clothes in Hanoi are the same as Singapore (unlike Espirt where the prices in Hanoi are exorbitant!). Ing got two tops while I resisted. For someone who is not working, splurging on a top that costs SGD 60 is just not practical. But it was fun browsing and looking around. A few Singaporean suggested that I could bring the catalogue to a local tailor and ask them to make a dress or pants for me with a similar design. Well, I tried it once but failed. I was told to try the same tailor at least twice because the workmanship will be better the second time. Maybe... I guess I just enjoy the thrill of trying on clothes, hoping that they fit snugly, and buying those that fit immediately! Claps... Cheap thrill... In any case, if I ever succeed in getting a locally made Mango lookalike, I will definitely highlight it in my blog.. so keep your fingers crossed for me!
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