[Hongkong!!-eating, shopping, meeting]

Our third trip in a space of 12months, it has been fun visiting Hkg yet again. This time around, we managed to leave the girls back home and it was just the 2 of us (thanks to the parents for their babysitting!) It has been a long 5 years since we took a trip together and it was fun to just be back to the 2 of us for just a little while. Of course, it was a win-win situation for the girls as not only were they spoilt rotten by doting grandparents, they also had all that guilt pressies we bought for them from the trip!
We were very honored to be nominated and to receive this award for our firm - 40 under 40. Met some interesting people during the awards ceremony, and best of all, we got to connect with ex-classmates from Singapore and London during this trip. It really was an eye-opener in how practices are being run in other parts of the world. Definitely this trip has made one think a lot more of where we are heading towards for our own practice, and how we can constantly motivate ourselves to do better.
Here's the lowdown on the highlights of our trip (pictures are taken with my iphone unfortunately) :
Love taking the trams to get around town.
Night of the awards. Brought along the clutch made with G's handwriting.
Day 02: Took pics of us every morning before we headed out - somehow being overseas in cooler climates bring out the clothes horse in us! :)
Day 03: Love the weather when we were there, it was warm enough not to be overly covered up, yet cool enough for an other layer.
Shopping in one of the IT chain of fashion shops (equivalent to Singapore's Club 21 chain) and discreetly taking some pictures!
V peeking into one of the unopened shops along Gough Street

"Homeless" on Gough Street
ooi botos

Love the street architecture- these were in and about the upper part of the Central escalators. The terrain there is so treacherous (esp if you're wearing super high heels!) but makes for interesting pictures and spaces.
One of my favorite shops - Kapok (on Sun Street)

FOOD!!!! Hkg is a foodlover's paradise and of course we were really keen to try out all sorts. Good friends recommended this particular local joint. It's on 115, Jervois street and it's speciality is the claypot rice. YUM.
I seem to have overdosed on braised beef this trip. LOVE the way braised beef is prepared in hongkong, i think most lunches are braised beef! Hee...
Our good friends E + K treated us to the most wonderful dinner at this French private kitchen which had the best food we've tasted in ages! Prepared lovingly, my 3 course meal was perfect in every way! Here's the details if you would like to visit : BONHEUR

Desserts were piled high and were so good.

Desserts in Hongkong are another MUST haves whenever we visit. Above picture is of SIFT cupcakes.
Durian wrapped in the lightest of skins. Honeymoon dessert was around our hotel, but my favorite is still Yee Shun milk company.
The best part of this trip has got to be connecting with old friends. This is E and me, with cute and chubby little baby E at their place in Sheungwan.
At the super posh restaurant. We were all in Uni together, we probably spent all our formative years together, working on projects in school, doing all-nighters at the studio, going out for late night suppers, illegally camping over at the hostels, driving to each others place for those lastminute mugging. I went on my first europe trip with E and all 4 of us went on our first "couples" trip together just before we left for London and they for New York. It was really fun catching up, especially now that we're parents, run architecture practices, and have all the same concerns about keeping both practice and family running concurrently at an even keel. :) We definately need to meet up more often!