Travel

I know, I know… I’m behind schedule. I was finally able to drag my lazy butt (and broken foot) to the computer to write this overdue post on my Vegas trip. Sorry! I’m actually having some issues with my broken foot for which the doctor has ordered bed rest for a month. It’s hard for me to stay seated because the foot gets swollen so let’s see if I can keep this short and quick.

Brunch at Wynn Buffet. While the selections may seem limited compared to others, quality is definitely superior. They’ve got everything from Gorgonzola Pear Salad (my fav) to Quiche. It was interesting because by the time we were finished with our first plate, lunch hour was approaching and a completely new menu started to show up. My tip would be to get there around 10:30AM so that you have access to both breakfast AND lunch.

After a wonderful brunch, we hit the pool where we were pleasantly greeted by half naked women. LOL yeah you heard it, NAKED! I had heard that there were European pools in Vegas but weren’t planning on actually hitting one! Since I never got around to visiting one when I was in Europe, this was my first experience and I gotta say while it’s a pretty cool idea since it gives women that much more “freedom” and less tan lines, I couldn’t help but wonder where my eyes should rest. Also the fact that there were many more men (older) than women concerned me. Ehh, I’ll pass on that. But if you are ever in the area, do check out Encore’s Beach Club. It opens during the day until 7PM and got DJs bumping hot tracks. I really wanted to check it out but my foot refused. As for clubs, Encore’s XS seemed to be the place to be- I saw way too many super-modelisque women at the door, beauty overload, indeed. Sadly not sure about men, however.

Encore Beach Club (Photo Credit: Bing Images)

Before my cast started developing fungus due to the scorching heat, we decided to find a shelter and chilled Vegas style in the lobby at the Spa. Not only was the air conditioning working magic, it was so beautiful I just did not want to leave. Mr. Wynn sure knows luxury.

That evening, we were treated to awesome American cuisine at Venetian’s Timpano Tavern (steak was excellent but the shrimps were so salty they had to be returned) and a Cirque du Soleil show called “Love” at The Mirage. I honestly wasn’t expecting much as I hadn’t heard much about the show but to my surprise, it was just pure awesomeness. The show is based on hits by Beatles and I thought the production was flawlessly coordinated along with plenty of artistic touches and enough dancing to satiate my entertainment appetite. If you are into shows, definitely do check out LOVE! I recommended it to a friend who arrived the next day and she absolutely loved it.

The next morning, we had brunch at a famous French Bakery in Aria called Jean Philippe. They have another location at Bellagio but we decided on this one as we had yet to explore Aria and the shops at Crystals. Definitely try their Crepes and Paninis- they are absolutely heavenly! Compared to their pastries and cakes, they are relatively affordable as well at $10-12. Its being a bakery, you order at the counter and pick up the food yourself. I figure if they were to have wait service the food cost would probably double.

Don’t forget to try their homemade gelato as it’s their specialty.

We headed to Crystals for some shopping where we were awestruck by this beautiful “tree house”:

It turns out that it’s actually a restaurant: Mastro’s Ocean Club designed by a renowned architect, David Rockwell.

Spent a good hour at Tom Ford’s one of the few stores in the US. He sure knows exquisite suits. The hubs instantly fell in love.

Very unlikely of us, but we went off strip for dinner for some amazing authentic Japanese food.

Not your typical uni- fresh uni with salmon roe and udon: yeah, you heard me, udon in uni soup! omg. if you like uni, you’ve just met your soulmate.

Homemade Cheesecake- it’s definitely not your average cheesecake as it has an extremely silky/velvety texture with a minimal use of sugar. Apparently this is where the top-class chefs from the strip grab their late night snacks and dinner. It’s a tiny restaurant so be sure to make a reservation days in advance: Aburiya Raku

The day ended with another show, this time at the Wynn. Perhaps my expectation was too high, or I just liked Love too much, but I must say that I was quite disappointed. I felt like it was a bit of a waste of money (about $120/ticket)… While I was blown away by the stage set-up, the performance itself was nothing new… or is it that my eyes have been spoiled with Cirque du Soleil‘s awesomeness?! Well whatever the case, if you are going to spend $100 on a show, I recommend Cirque du Soleil over Le Reve.

After two entertaining nights at the Encore, we moved to Trump for relaxation. Although it’s only a block away from Encore, this five-star hotel gives off a very different aura as it’s actually off the strip (although only steps away) with no casinos nor clubs. The pool is small and conservative compared to those on the strip but you might actually like it better if you are annoyed by those drunken partygoers at typical Vegas pools. I like the rooms at the Encore better but it’s definitely nice to have free wifi and an option to cook in your room (for which you actually pay for as part of the resort fee yet the total’s still cheaper than Encore). Service is probably what sets Trump apart from others as they surprised us with these beautiful flowers in the room:

If I could say a few things however, they’ve got to improve their valet service. One time we had to wait 15 minutes just to get the car and was actually late for dinner, not to mention the heat (!!!) we had to endure. ugh. please, please do something about it! Also, the bathroom flooded every time I’d take a shower because the dam in the shower stall was too low, letting water flow into the rest of the bathroom. It’s a design problem that needs to be fixed! but they do have the BEST Shower Robes ever. I was extremely tempted to take them home.

The trip ended with delicious Thai cuisine at a place known for offering the “Best Thai Food in US” called Lotus of Siam, which is also off the strip. It was recommended by a number of my food aficionado friends so we had to check it out. Their Tom Yam Kung is best I’ve had. Be sure to order the drunken noodles. It was highly recommended by the waiter which turned out to be a favorite. Lotus of Siam

Just a bit about me…

I like to eye-shop, that is unless I discover something I really, truly love that I just can’t imagine myself living without it and end up dreaming about it.

I like to travel- and when I am traveling, I spend most of the time walking around exploring the city, trying to act like a local.

I love to eat. I think I’m slowly becoming vegetarian, however.

I enjoy cooking- well, only when I feel like it. Pasta is my specialty; not because I received any kind of professional training on it, but because it’s the easiest for me.

Tecate, Mexico 2005
I have a heart for missions. I desperately wish more people knew how wonderful Jesus is. I used to think that it was impossible for people to change… before I met Him. :*I
Read more here

Enjoy a view of Manhattan from Queens.

Take a drive on one of NY’s numerous bridges at sunset.

Grab a slice of New York-style pizza on the run.

Take pix of a boutique store on 5th Avenue.

Have Pho on a freezing day @ Pho Pasteur in Chinatown

85 Baxter Street (btwn Walker & White)

New York, NY 10013

Take advantage of generous entertainment opportunities by world-renowned artists.

Diverse color positioning makes repetition fun: Gabriel Orozco @ MoMA

Be awed by the beauty of Water Lilies by Monet

Visit one of my most favorite places in NY- MoMA

11 West 53th st.

New York, NY 10019

Never saw this place so packed in my life… took an hour just to enter.

Magically make a glass of Frozen Hot Chocolate disappear in five minutes.

Serendipity

225 E. 60th St.

New York, NY 10022

Call it a tourist spot but I just can’t resist it- even the 2 hour wait doesn’t faze me. If I could, I would have one everyday for a month and promise I won’t get sick of it.

Walk around midtown and become actively involved in people/cab watching- trust me, it gets quite interesting.

Conduct Candy & Chocolate investigation @ Dylan’s Candy Bar, where you will be greeted by every single candy ever existed on earth.

1011 Third Ave (at 60th)

New York, NY 10021

Since there was a two hour wait at Serendipity, went around the corner to kill time at Dylan’s. You gotta be smart to survive in NYC.

Take a walk down the memory lane.

PvD- one of my favorite DJs of all time. For a second I thought that I would love to be there… then again, I quit partying quite a while ago, not to mention the fact that I live 3,000 miles away.

Have a break.

Panini & Lemon Soda @ a favorite cafe, Zibetto

Manhattan at night in rain… besides the completely soaked boots, it was quite beautiful.

Lastly,

Reminisce the good old days.

Also be reminded of the reasons why I left.

While things created by men can be attractive, nothing beats the beauty of nature. So glad that I got to visit Connecticut despite the unbelievably cold weather.

Devils Hopyard State Park

East Haddam, Connecticut

East Haddam, CT

Heading over to Upstate New York

–

Believe me, I did look quite normal before going into the woods in a freezing weather (think in teens):

Before                                                      

—>

After

 LOL

Dear NJ,

My apologies for not realizing your beauty six years ago-

More Victorian Houses <333

Colorful houses in some of my favorite colors- Turquoise, Sky Blue, and Pink!

Manhattan from New Jersey on a Foggy Day

I actually lived and worked in NJ for a while, but was too nearsighted to realize the beauty of life then. Glad that I got to see it from a different perspective, though six years too late.

—

Ate at some random Mediterranean restaurant in West New York for lunch, which turned out to be surprisingly good. It looked Indian from outside but the menu said otherwise. Had a Greek Salad which included a good portion of tomatoes, cucumber, olives, etc- now that I think about it, it tasted more like Salsa than an avg Greek Salad- perhaps that’s how New Yorkers do it? Anyhow, it was wonderful nonetheless. Heard the Shish Kabobs were quite good as well.

Zietuna Grill

Lesson 100: Never Drive in the City

Spent quality time with my beloved Manhattan for a good 5 hours

Noticed what large Wifi options I had passing by 55th & Park

Central Park is even more beautiful on a rainy day.

Hello Kitty in the City (Not an official title- I like that they rhyme. )

by Tom Sachs

Chinese-To-Go for dinner. It may look a little bizarre, but it’s quite delicious: Shrimp Egg Foo Young & Won Ton Soup

I like how everything can be delivered at any time of the day within 20 minutes in NYC- AND they arrive hot! The delivery men must go through some rigorous training.

Second day in New York-

Somewhere in Long Island on the way to Montauk

There are lots of these Victorian Houses on the East Coast- I would like one in the Hamptons, please. <333

Montauk

Saw a tiny rainbow on our way back- it was the first thing I saw as I opened my eyes from a long nap

It’s funny how things unfold the way they do. I had mentioned on Twitter couple weeks ago how badly I missed New York (see Sidebar). Then, out of the blue my boss asks if I want to participate in a project taking place in New York (she had no idea that I was dying to go, nor that I had ever even lived in NY).

And today, I got to visit the Hamptons along with Montauk both of which I had always badly wanted to visit, but never had a chance when I actually lived here. Another reminder that God listens to every single prayer, however insignificant it may seem to be.

Connecticut tomorrow.