A Quick Lunch at Plaza Inn, HK Disneyland

This resto is actually operated by Maxim's, Hong Kong...

Very authentic Chinese interior...


We let the kids decide what to have... their choices were...

Yang Chow Fried Rice... very good... one order is not enough... :)

Fried Spring Roll... very crispy, not too oily and the filling was not dry...

Vegetable Dumplings... fresh veggies inside...

Har Gau, Hakaw, or Steamed Shrimp Dumplings... definitely, a must try, very good... fresh whole prawns inside...

I just have to check their Rest Room... very clean and the interior was very nicely done...

A Day Trip to Hong Kong Disneyland

Well, finally... what the kids were waiting for... a whole day in Hong Kong Disneyland...

Of course... MTR Disneyland Resort Line... that's what I love about Hong Kong, commuting is so convenient...


We arrived there at 10:01 am...



The Wild Cats in action at the Main Street...

Enter the Adventureland...








Festival of the Lion King... definitely, a must watch... you will truly feel proud to see the Filipino performers with their brilliant performance...




Enter the Fantasyland...


The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh...

It's a Small World... and a very rainy world at that...




















The Golden Mickeys... a musical spectacular featuring your favorite Disney films...

What the kids have been waiting for... Tomorrowland...

Stitch Encounter... way to go, Stitch...

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters... I actually enjoyed playing this...


Comet Cafe... too bad we weren't able to try this... but you guys might be interested with what they have to offer...




Autopia... it was a wet drive...

Well... at this point, the kids went gaga with the rides... oh well, this trip was for them anyway... mission accomplished... they had a great time... rain or shine...



Night time at Hong Kong Disneyland...

The most awaited Disney in Stars Fireworks...





The Main Street at night...






Bye-bye Hong Kong Disneyland...





Hmmm... almost 10 pm... wow... 12 hours at Hong Kong Disneyland...

Hong Kong MTR Station...

The Beijing 2008 Olympic Countdown inside the station...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 12

After we got back from Macau's Fisherman's Wharf, we got our things from our room and checked out... we're ready to leave The Venetian for our trip back to Hong Kong, until we realized that we haven't seen the Hotel Main Lobby!!! We left our bags at the Concierge and hurriedly went...

As we were on our way to the Hotel Main Lobby, and believe me, it was a long walk from the West Entrance... we chanced upon some casts of the unique troupe of Artiste Del Arte... The Streetmosphere's Entertainers... of course, Filipino talents were included in this group... they were classically trained vocalists, musicians, and visual artists... dressed in authentic and elaborate Venetian costumes... if you have plans to visit The Venetian, try to experience their spectacular opera performances at the St. Mark's Square every Monday - Sunday: 2:30pm, 4:30pm, 7pm and 9pm... check them out...



And to think that we almost failed to see this...

Just spectacular!!! Look at the elaborately designed ceiling of the Hotel Main Lobby... the magnificent water fountain as their focal point... the place was just shimmering in gold...



The Colonnade...


The Reception Area...

The Foyer...

The Main Entrance...

Isn't it funny that we saw the Main Entrance of The Venetian Hotel last? Oh well... it's time to say good-bye to The Venetian Hotel and Macau... but we will definitely come back... as my eldest made a vow to be back when he reach his 18th birthday... yup, he wants to see the casino...

As we rode away in the shuttle that the hotel provided for the comfort of its' guests... we can't help but continue to look at the dream that was realized... they will definitely continue expanding, building, and improving their dreams... and we hope to come back to see these new dreams in reality...




Well, there are still a lot of things we didn't see and do in Macau... I guess an overnight trip was not enough... maybe next time... Oh well... back in the Macau Pier, it's time for our trip back to Hong Kong...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 11

After our brunch, we decided to explore outside The Venetian... just to see what the real Macau has to offer... we found out that there's a shuttle bus available for guests who want to go to Sands Casino every few minutes... so off we went...


This pic of Sands was taken from the bus' wide window when we were crossing the bridge going to Macau Peninsula...


We all went down in front of Sands... we weren't able to take a peek with kids in tow... we looked around as to where we can go... and lo and behold... just across the street was The Macau Fisherman's Wharf...



We all hurriedly crossed the street to experience this new adventure...

The Macau Fisherman's Wharf is the first theme park in Macau... located in the Macau Peninsula, near the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier...

Wow!!! Amazing!!! We were all in awe when we catch the first glimpse of scenes from what could be Rome, Old England, Mount Vesuvius, even Miami or ...














You can see that this place commands attention with its colorful collection of architecture based on waterfront buildings from around the world...














Too bad... it was soooo hot... we could have explored this place much longer... there were still lots of places to see... but the kids were all tired... who were we kidding??? ... we were all tired and thirsty... and we have to catch the shuttle bus back to the hotel... anyway, for a more comprehensive guide to those who are planning to visit the Macau Fisherman's Wharf, I decided to add a link... just click the title of this post...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 10

We all woke-up refreshed, excited, and famished!!! We took a vote as to where and what to have for breakfast... actually, brunch, since it was already late... can't blame us, those huge bed were really comfortable :) ... anyway, hmmm... Food Court or Blue Frog?... then the kids remembered the friendly Filipino staff of Cafe Deco asking if we want to try their Breakfast Buffet... the kids love buffet... be it breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner... so, you guess it right... and the winner was....



Upon seeing us, the friendly Filipino Staff immediately seated us and served us hot, black coffee...


I took some assorted bread and jams/jellies... breads were fresh... even though it wasn't hot, though you can have it toast... it was crispy on the outside, soft in the inside... my favorite, blueberry jam... yummy...

Take a look at what they have to offer... The Juice Bar...

Yoghurt and Assorted Fruits...

Assorted Cereals and Preserved Fruits...

Your choice of Fresh and Skimmed Milk...

Egg Station...


Assorted Breads and Pastries...

Waffle Station...


Assorted Cold Cuts and Cheeses...

Dimsum Station...



Congee Station with Assorted Toppings and Condiments...


Assorted Sausages, Bacons, Ham, Scrambled Eggs, and French Toasts...

Fried Noodles, Fried Rice, and Baked Beans...

And my choices were... First, I had my Congee and Dimsum Platter... for my Congee, I topped it with salted eggs, century eggs, fried wonton wrappers, peanuts, and leeks... it was good... but not great... I had better congees in HK and Manila... now, for the dimsum... the Pork Siomai, Shark's Fin, and Spring Roll were so so, but the Beef Siomai, terrible... I had better dimsum experience in Manila... they should definitely improve their dimsum recipes...

The Fried Noodles were sauteed with mushrooms, carrots, onions, and oyster sauce... I liked it... the noodles were cooked just right, not too salty and not too oily and tasted just perfect... same for the Fried Rice, simple, but very tasty... you can see that they just fried the rice with peas and carrots... I guess, they also used oyster sauce... not bad... now, these Button Mushrooms were very good... very tasty...

I loved their Smoked Salmon... it was perfect...

The Sausages were typical hotel sausages... Bacon, not crispy and a little oily... Scrambled Eggs, cooked just right...

I have to say that the breakfast buffet didn't really meet our expectation... there are definitely more room for improvement... the service were great though... thanks to the friendly Filipinos...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 9

Just have to share with you the expansion, construction, and how vast The Venetian is... took the the pics from our window...








Hmmm... that means, we still have something to look forward to when we go back... next time... next time...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 8

Now we come to... The Festivita Food Court...


What a place huh... look at the ambiance of their food court... simply fantastic!!!




This one serves a fantastic topping... roasted meat and fresh green veggies on top of fragrant steamed rice... my kid ordered roasted pork (asado)... and the sauce.... yum... too bad, before I had the chance to take a pic.. the kid was already half-finished... oh well...


Take a look at what Festivita Food Court has to offer...








Kid2 chose Fat Burger... the only meal I was able to shoot... He ordered Chicken Sandwhich with Fries... Actually, typical fried chicken breast meat with mayo dressing, lettuce, and tomatoes... not bad, but not great... the fries... same, same...



And check this out... too bad because we were all in a hurry, wasn't able to try their version...


Ah... don't be fooled... I wasn't able to resist to share this pic of these giant Tako-Yaki with you... these are for their display purposes... and my... you just can't help but notice them... until my next trip to The Venetian, I'll definitely must try them...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 7

As we continue exploring, we just can't help but be amazed with what The Venetian has to offer...

Take a look... very eye-catching, festive carnival mask on the wall...


Visual artists and living statues... dressed in authentic and elaborate Venetian costumes...





The expansion continues... The Shoppes at Four Seasons opening soon...

The Shoppes... on our way to see The Great Hall...

Murals that were painted on the ceiling... simply breathe-taking...



The Great Hall...

Look at the very detailed murals of the ceiling... magnificent!!!


The shops around the Great Hall...


Looking down you can take a little peek at the casino... sshhh... taking photo's prohibited down here... 18 years old below are strictly not allowed inside the casino...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 6

After our late lunch, everybody was excited to explore... as we left Cafe Deco Macao, we walked through a hall with a huge LCD displayed on the wall... it was featuring the realization of THE VENETIAN DREAM... and what a dream to realize...

We noticed an interesting bar and a grill on the side... located at the South Wing... interesting interior and menu but because of time, weren't able to try them... maybe next time...





Now here, you can find a magnificent and impressive stairs and the escalators... this made the kids want to run up and down on them... going up leads to the Di Moda Square...

Let's explore the Di Moda Square... Wow... are we indoor or outdoor?... a very different shopping place... we were all in awe... the clear blue skies that's almost real... the very detailed European architecture...

Let's proceed to the Grand Canal... you've never been to The Venetian if you didn't ride the Gondola...







And the Gondola Pick-up Point... the Gondoliers, as they call themselves, were very friendly... and my, their voices, truly magnificent... our gondolier, an Italian female, told us that she was happy to be in Venetian and be a gondolier, because in Venice, females cannot be a gondoliers, they can sing, but they are not allowed to handle the boat... and another thing, there were plenty of very talented Filipino Gondoliers...




Let's continue exploring... going to the Castella Square, Carnival Square and the Great Hall... you can't help but notice the beautiful and exquisite details of the interior...







Visual Artist dressed in authentic Venetian costume...

Located at the Carnival Square, we finally found this authentic bakery, Choi Heong Yuen Bakery... they are famous for their almond cake, a favorite of hubby ever since... they have been in the market for 70 years and gained a good reputation for their unique charcoal method of baking almond cakes... hence, they are considered the best souvenir from Macau...

The famous mini almond cakes... bite size... perfect to bring home for your friends and family...



And wait... we just can't resist to try their authentic Portuguese Egg Tarts... the kids were all asking to have one... well... actually, more or less, around 2 to 3 each... these egg tarts are the fusion of portuguese and chinese influence in Macau... they are creamier and more fragrant than your regular egg tarts... mmmm... yummy...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 5

After all the excitement, we decided to finally have our late lunch... we all left our impressive room to see where we can grab a quick, hearty lunch...

Hmmm... this one looked interesting...




A noodle bar... what could be more quick and hearty than that??





We all decided that this was the place for us to have this late lunch... everybody was so famished... we all concentrated on the menu as to what to try...





And the choices were...

Si Chuan Tan Tan Noodles... hubby chose this, he wanted to try something new, something different... well, visually... sorry, but it was terrible... taste, hmmm... have u tried mapo tofu? not bad right? but try combining it in a bowl of egg noodle soup... you decide...


Roast Duck Noodles... my eldest had just to have this... fresh egg noodles served in hot broth topped with slices of roasted duck and kai-lan vegetables and sprinkled with spring onions... a safe order... not bad...




Char Kwan Diew... Is it Thai? Vietnameses? Singaporean? I'm just not sure... but the taste... hmmm, a little spicy... curried... it was fresh rice noodles stir-fried with sweet onions, green and red bell peppers, shrimps and pork strips, and topped with spring onions and scrambled eggs... it wasn't bad, but it wasn't on top of my lists...



Chinese Wonton Noodles... I always think that if a chinese noodle house/resto is really good, one must serve a mean wonton noodles... thus, i just have to check out their wonton noodles...



hmmm... after a stir, I noticed the prawns inside the wonton were big and whole, and the taste... awesome... the broth, clear... the egg noodles were the same quality as in the best in HK... fresh kai-lan vegetables, still crunchy... a must try...



Stir Fried Ho Fan with Beef... this is one of my favorite that I just have to try their version... and I was not disappointed... yum... it smelled so fragrant and tasted so good... unlike the others that I've tried before where the taste of ginger, garlic, and onion were quite over-powering, theirs' tasted with just the right hint of these ingredients... cooked perfectly without being too oily, with freshly made rice noodles or ho fan, with tender, juicy, and well-marinated beef, mung bean sprouts that were still crunchy, sprinkled with spring onions... you just can't go wrong with this...



Chiu Chow Cuttlefish and Fish Ball Noodle Soup... they served this with clear broth, fresh rice noodles, cuttlefish and fish balls that tasted as if they were freshly made, fresh kai-lan green vegetables and topped with fried garlic and shallots... for something light, this is just right...



Over-all, it was a satisfying lunch... with our tummy full, I started to look around the resto... hmmm... the interior was quite interesting... the decors were impressive... check it out...

And the ceiling... very creative... modern and geometric...





And this resto turns into bar at night...




And definitely, I just have to check their Rest Room... again, it was elegantly designed...

A Side Trip to Macau.....Part 4

As things seemed to be more promising, we all started heading to our room... hmmm... everything was really looking good... i can hear all the "ooohh....ahh...look...wow..."...i guess we were not the only ones who were impressed... as the kids were all smile and shouting with glee, me and hubby were concentrating with the map given to us by the reception area staff, all signs had to be check so we would be able to locate our room...

Finally... our room... holding our breathe, we slowly opened the door... let the pictures we captured speak...