Box Thai

I love an excuse to try a new restaurant, and with a friend in town for business, I had a ready reason. Having read the reviews for Box Thai, I knew where we should go, too.

The place is not your average Thai restaurant. It's deceptively large and goes for a hip, modern vibe. Small intimate tables sit along the fringes of the restaurants with large communal picnic-like tables in the middle. This is a place for groups to gather. And on the cheap, too.

Appetizers, noodle dishes and curries are all moderately priced for the neighborhood. A green curry chicken was priced around $75. A good buy for a dish that was richer than most.

All in all, Box Thai is a great addition to the Wyndham restaurant area, and something a bit different than all the typical Thai SoHo spots.

Summer Vacation: Vietnam Report

Vietnam wasn’t a place I was supposed to want to go to. My dad was all but avoiding the issue about my upcoming trip. But his Vietnam was worlds away from the Vietnam we visited.

To be fair, there is still plenty about the country that echoes its past. Farmers still tend to their rice paddies wearing conical hats. Hawkers sell their fresh baguettes on poles by the roadside. Fisherman hurl nets off small boats to take in a day’s catch. There is still so much village life left in Vietnam, and its refreshing to

see that it hasn’t exchanged its soul for tourist’s cash … at least not yet.

Most of the cruise operators in Halong Bay offer a two-day or three-day sail. If you have the time, go for the three-day option. On our extra day, we were able to spend it sailing on a private junk, and we even took a tour of one of the fishing villages that call the islands home. It’s worth seeing how people live in this remote part of the world. The one-room school that the students attend, the outdoor restaurant that exists solely for tourists like ourselves and the large government building -- what could they need that much space for?

Back on our tour ship, life stood in stark contrast. We had a big stateroom decked out in lacquered teak. Evening entertainment included cooking demonstrations, squid fishing and kayaking, and meals were served with white table linens. Sipping cocktails on the main deck while watching the sun set behind the cliffs was something I could have enjoyed for yet another night. But we had other places to see in Vietnam,

Our next stop was at Tam Hai island. Getting there was an adventure in itself: Plane from Hanoi to Denang, two hour car ride, followed by a boat to get us to the island. But upon seeing Le Domaine at Tam Hai, we felt as if we had discovered Paradise Island.

The resort is a quiet place set along the beach with huts placed thoughtfully spaced among the beautiful tropical forest. Days are spent lounging by the pool, kayaking down the inlets or finding shells along the beach. This was not a cultural excursion, but Le Domaine takes relaxation seriously. One of my favorite aspects was dinner. Tables are set out on the beach and meals are served with fine china and silver. Want to enjoy an after-dinner cocktail or dessert? The staff puts out a couch and sofa table by the waves for you to enjoy your final hours before bedtime.

Of course, one can only be so rested, and while Le Domaine was a much needed and appreciated pit-stop, we had one more destination in mind: Hoi An. The town is considered a World Heritage Site for being on the map since the 10th century as an important trading port in the South Asia. The Japanese once owned part of the city, which was sectioned off by the now famous Japanese bridge. Tourists can still walk over the 16th century structure and cross easily between both sections of town.

My husband and I took up residence at The Life Heritage Resort. The rooms are designed with a definitive modern palate, although the exterior oozed old-world imperial charm. But we didn’t come here for the hotel, we came to see the city.

Hoi An is a small town, but it is chock full of small arts and crafts stores and tailors who can riff off any designs you may be coveting. In truth, it’s a tourist trap. It’s a great place to walk around for the day and pick up some unique souvenirs -- we made out with some lanterns, and kitchenwares -- but it isn’t a place that you can take up residency for too long without getting bored of the hawkers and their calls.

On our second day, therefore, we visited the nearby China Beach. This long stretch of sand was perfect for strolling, and I especially enjoyed playing in the cooling waves on a day that soared close to 100 degrees outside. Yes, Vietnam is hot in summer. Hotter than any place I’ve ever been. And remember, this is not a first world country,

so air conditioning is spotty at best ... when it’s available. In fact, a walk from our sun chaise to the ocean resulted in a couple of heat blisters from the sand. It’s hot!!

Back in Hoi An, we spent our last day getting last minute adjustments to some dresses I had made and watching the comings and goings of the market. One remarkable thing is that it seems only women are in charge of the business transactions. We watched women fishing, hauling the catch and selling their vegetables. Where were the men?

There is plenty that we didn’t see in Vietnam, but that only leaves many excuses to return. Beautiful scenery, fresh food and pristine places will beckon us back soon.

Heading Home

I'm heading home to the states for a month. See you in August.

Magnolia: Ongoing report of HK's private kitchens

On Saturday, we went to Magnolia, another restaurant on our private kitchen list. Magnolia is different, first and foremost, because it serves Creole food. I'd be hard-pressed to name another Southern restaurant in Hong Kong. Second, when you walk into the restaurant, you are, quite literally, standing in the owner's kitchen. Lori is the head chef. She's from New Orleans and she knows how to cook up some raging Cajun.

My friends and I were there to wish a couple bon voyage. Magnolia helped us get festive by handing out some fruity cocktails and delicious appetizers. My favorite was the fried goat cheese topped with a small slice of smoked salmon. Other crowd pleasers were the pesto cheese spread and crab legs.

After those teasers, we were ready for the main course. The staff ushered us upstairs into a private dining area. Lori personally came up to tell us about the menu, and ask about any special dietary concerns. With the formalities out of the way, we were ready to get at the food. And what food there was. The meal started with a shrimp gumbo, followed by a soft shell crab served fried to perfection on top of a green salad. Then, it was on to the main course of the juiciest, sweetest ribs I've ever tasted, accompanied with potatoes, collard greens, rice and piping hot corn muffins. All of the food it served family style and there's plenty of it to go around. By the time we got to the pecan pie for dessert, many of us were popping open buttons to make room.

Magnolia is hands down the best Cajun food I've ever had, and, yes, I have been to Louisiana. It's also BYOB, which keeps the prices reasonable. AWESOME!

Beaching It!

It's starting to get hot, which means that beach season is back! While there are a lot of beaches both on and off the island, these are the few I frequent on the Hong Kong side for a quick afternoon escape from the heat.

Big Wave Bay

Surfers head to Big Wave to catch the swells, while the girls who love them sun on the beach. Small coast, but it sure is pretty with large cliffs that hug either side. If you get tired of lounging on the beach you can wander up the trail or head to the beach side restaurant for a snack.

Shek-O

Nice, long sandy stretch of beach, but you'll be playing beach-blanket bingo when the weather is nice. Lifeguards are on duty and there are is even a playground for kids. Town shops cater to beach bums who need sunscreen and boogie boards. There also a couple of great restaurants if you stay through the afternoon.

South Bay Beach

A small beach tucked away from it all, this sandy outpost attracts expats in the know. There's a nice laid-back restaurant that's a great place for a snack or a cocktail, but be warned: the staff is as laid back as the vibe. Easy to get to, but hard to head home. You may want to put a taxi driver's number on speed-dial before you head out.

Stanley International Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boating has been around for more than 2,000 years, so it was bound to have some quirky traditions sprout up around it. Some places don't let women paddle ... bad luck. At the Stanley International Dragon Boat Festival, women can compete, but the races are halted half way through the day for some ceremonial rituals.

First a roasted pig is carried out onto the beach and incense is lit around it. Staff members then go out and paint the eyes of the dragon red. Finally the staff takes out a golden blade and makes a sacrificial cut into the pig. I'm not quite sure what is done with the pig afterwards by the staff, but as for the teams, they continue to race.

Even though the competition is on a Thursday, there are still thousands of people out to watch the races, thanks to the fact that it is a national holiday in Hong Kong. More than 4,000 teams took part in this year's competition, and it seemed a good deal stuck around after to celebrate their wins or forget their losses down at Stanley's waterfront pub area.


Oh, and BTW -- SMUG ladies won it all on the beach this year!!

The Circle Grows

Within the circle-ring roads around Beijing, the past and the present swirl around each other. It is what makes this capital city such a remarkable place to visit. Grade seven was lucky to experience the new and old of Beijing in April. We saw the old men in Mao jackets smoking aromatic Chinese cigarettes on the street corners, and the modern college students climbing man-made rock walls. We saw the I.M. Pei designed office towers and the communist-style apartment blocks. We even slept on plush, duvet-covered beds at a modern hotel, and then we laid down for a night on a cold, stone slab covered with mattress pads at a village house.

In some ways, these might seem like contradictions in people, architecture and neighborhoods, but they are part of who Beijing was, is and will become.

During our trip, we were able to sample the different sides of Beijing today. We visited local produce markets where the students had to use their Chinese skills. We hiked The Great Wall and marveled at the scenery around us. We gaped at the feats of the acrobats who had us at the edge of our seats. We flew kites in Tiananmen Square.

Our trip was made comfortable by our two tour guides, but it is easy to feel out of your element in China. It was peculiar for us to see children who went without diapers, or bathrooms without walls and starfish and scorpions done up as snacks on kebab sticks.

Coming from Hong Kong, it was intriguing to see this city in transition. Hong Kong shed much of its past long ago as it segued into its current cosmopolitan state. It’s easy to forget that the mainland was decades behind our city here, and yet, it is catching up at a rapid pace as communism is replaced by capitalism. It begs the question: How much longer will you hear the woman hawking fresh tofu in the streets? How much longer will you see the green hills around The Great Wall unmarred by souvenir shops?

Its past was as the home of emperors and the seat of power for dynasties that stretched back centuries. Its future depends upon it becoming the new economic powerhouse of Asia. Caught between these two realities, Beijing just seems to expand, allowing its circle roads to encompass it all.