Category Archives: Travel

Din Tai Fung

By | Foodie, Travel | 7 Comments

As soon as we arrived in Shanghai, we had our lunch which was right across the hotel.  Of course my three boys were excited because it was their favorite Xiao Long Bao and they loved it!! We all loved it!

And after this, they came back everyday whether for breakfast, brunch, lunch or snack.  The family came back three times in the 4 days we were in Shanghai!  🙂  This restaurant is found in other countries in the world like Hong Kong, Japan, USA and others.  We heard it is coming to the Philippines soon!  

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You need your black vinegar for the Xiao Long Bao ( Soup dumplings ) 

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There are many things in the menu but this is the main reason and the main thing we order in the restaurant 

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Highly recommended kind since it has CRAB!  

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Look at that!!!!  We have tried many Xiao long baos and the good ones and the one made well are the ones that can retain the soup inside.   YUMMY!!!

Favorite Xiao Long Bao places ( Click on them to go to the feature ):

Victoria’s Seafood – Hong Kong

Joe Shanghai – New York – New York Foodie

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An interesting dumpling that has siomai combined in it 

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I do not know if they have this all the time but this is our first time to try BLACK TRUFFLES Xiao Long Bao!!!! WOW!!!!!!! YUMMY!!!!!!!  

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Chefs making the soup dumplings all day long  

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website:  Din Tai Fung

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88 Xintiandi

By | Travel | 2 Comments

After Xian, Shanghai was our last stop.  Heart2Heart LOVES Shanghai!!!!

In Shanghai, a beautiful boutique hotel, 88 Xintiandi 

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Click here to go to their website:  88 Xintiandi 

in a nice area with nice restaurants and shops

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( click on the photo to go to the website and see more of Xintiandi )

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Touring Beijing, China

By | Arts and Culture, Travel | 2 Comments

We did not go to Beijing this year, but five years ago, we did with our good friends, Suharto and Rina.  I did not take as many photos but am glad I still have them.  

We got a package tour for only US$ 800.00 which included airfare, hotel and food to Shanghai and Beijing for a week.  WHAT A GREAT DEAL!  I do not know if you can still get something like that now.  It was a smart way to go because we had a tour guide and we did not have to worry about how to communicate- where to go- what to eat etc etc.  

Beijing is definitely a place to go to- very rich in history and culture! 

Tiananmen Square

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Forbidden City- I wish I had taken more photos.  This was beautiful!   

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Summer Palace

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The only photo I have of the Beijing Zoo, I love Panda bears!!  

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The Great Wall

We could not imagine ourselves climbing that but if many others were doing it, why can’t we? And we were already there so might as well make the most out of it 🙂  

 

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Suharto climbing up – tired but smiling 🙂

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WE MADE IT!

“The GREAT Wall with GREAT friends!” as captioned by my best friend, Rina 🙂

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They even sell certificates at the top of the mountain as proof that you actually climbed the wall 🙂

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Terra-Cotta Warriors

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Din Tai Fung

Shanghai Antique Market

Whampoa Club at 3 On the Bund

8 On The Bund

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Era,Intersection of Time

Breakfast at 88 Xintiandi

Chinese Silk

The Kitchen Salvatore Cuomo

Touring Shanghai 

The YongFoo Elite

Yi Long Court

The Peninsula Shanghai 

Good Hot Pot

Taikang Lu Street

[email_link]

Le Chinois

By | Foodie, Travel | One Comment

So when in Xian, maybe best to stick to the restaurants in the hotel ( Renmin Square Hotels ) 🙂  Unless you have other recommendations from friends.  We enjoyed our meals here  

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The kids love the dimsum, they can eat many siomai and dumplings 🙂 

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They had Beijing duck instead of Peking duck which is not the crispy type

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This was something new to see, they had a warmer for the wrapped duck  

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They use a different wrapper  

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Second way of the duck and they only served the breast part, it was really good 

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And they make an effort for presentation which is not always at Chinese restaurants, so Heart2Heart likes it 🙂

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Eating in Xian

  

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Eating in Xian

By | Foodie, Travel | No Comments

We were not able to get any restaurant recommendations for Xian…so we just asked the concierge and the tour guide where to go.  The Chinese food was okay but not spectacular, maybe also because we did not know what to order also.  

This restaurant was near the hotel.  They had a wide variety to choose from but we stuck to the basic Chinese food we normally order like Roast duck, sweet and sour pork, siomai

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We did not know what this was, but it looked interesting so i took photos 🙂 

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This was a restaurant near the Terra-cotta warriors.  It seemed like all the tourists and tour groups were going here.  It was a big place!  But we did not really like the food and it took some time for the food to come out.  We also had a hard time communicating with the servers.  I think that the tour groups that come here reserve in advance and have a set meal whereas we just walked in and tried to order from the menu 

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I actually liked this – chinese french fries 🙂  

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This was a chicken dish which I also liked 

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 Oh my gosh!!!!! KFC!!!! by the Terracotta soldiers! Our savior! 🙂  

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Terra-cotta Factory

By | Travel | No Comments

We went to the Terra Cotta factory since this is the place that is recommended to buy all your souvenirs as it is owned by the government.   You will be assured you are not being over charged.  And even after their price, you can still bargain depending on what you are getting.  You can even buy life size warriors and they will have it delivered to you wherever you are in the world. 

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 The soldiers are actually bigger than life size!  

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When they make the soldiers, they are hollow inside and then they put the head after.  And  they can make the head look like anyone!  So if you want, they can make your head/face 🙂 I think it takes 3 months.

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WOW!! Here is the shop where you can buy all kinds of terra cotta soldiers! 

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And they have other Chinese items

Lacquer furniture 

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and even carpets!  The Chinese can make anything! 

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 Previous Entries:  ( Click on them to go to them )

Touring Xian, China

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Terra-cotta Warriors

Eating in Xian

Le Chinois 

[email_link]

Terra-cotta Warriors

By | Arts and Culture, Travel | 3 Comments

Our main purpose for our visit to Xian was to see the Terracotta soldiers.  And WOW!  We read and see a lot of photos about them but to be actually there and absorb the history surrounding them and how they preserved it. And for my two sons, they are awed as they are studying it and when they see it in person, they are more amazed!dsc_1095.JPGdsc_1098.jpgdsc_1101.JPGdsc_1106.jpgdsc_1107.JPGdsc_1110.JPGdsc_1111.JPGdsc_1112.JPGdsc_1118.JPGdsc_1120.JPGdsc_1123.JPGdsc_1124.JPGdsc_1125.JPGdsc_1126.JPGdsc_1137.JPGdsc_1138.JPGdsc_1142.JPGdsc_1143.JPGdsc_1144.JPG

Continuing their excavations 

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There was only one soldier that was intact when they excavated and it was the kneeling archer.  All the others were already in pieces and they had to put them together one by one to rebuild the soldiers and put them into one piece 

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Javier was so excited to see one of the farmers there

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and he made sure he bought a book so he could get an autograph

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They normally do not allow photos but the farmer was probably happy that the kids wanted to meet him so he allowed it

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 Previous Entries:  ( Click on them to go to them )

Touring Xian, China

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Le Chinois 

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Breakfast Buffet at Sofitel

By | Foodie, Travel | 2 Comments

When travelling, this is one of Heart2Heart’s favorites.  Just like a bath tub, we can only have breakfast buffets and tub baths when staying in hotels. Wherelse can you wake up to a breakfast buffet?:-)   We came already late so the buffet was almost closed, which explains why it’s a bit messy already and little food left in containers.  It’s a good thing I was able to take photos still and we were able to eat a bit.  It’s not included in the room, only kids eat for free.  But they did not charge us anyway, maybe because we came so late already.

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Le Chinois 

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Sofitel, Xian

By | Travel | No Comments

We stayed in Sofitel hotel which was located at Renmin Square.  It was perfect for us as it was peaceful and relaxing and away from the usual city crowd.  You would imagine Xian being “probinsya” but we did not feel it at all in this hotel, which is very up to date and refurbished yet the rates are 1/4 of the bigger cities.  

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Eating in Xian

Le Chinois 

[email_link]

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