Paris, deuxième fois

La Tour Eiffel

C'est Chic

The Hotel Longchamp Elysées 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 

Le Petit Montmatre 

Chez Clement

Chez Clement

Chez Clement

Chez Clement

Date: 18th-20th December 2013

Location: Paris, France 

Paris c'est si bon. It's the city of romance, dreams and couture galore. It would have been my second time around visiting this romanticised city meant for two, and stepping onto the cobbled Parisian streets filled me with a sense of nostalgia as I breathed in the cold, wintry air and engulfed the sights of scrambling tourists like myself waiting in line for a taxi. 
I know Paris, apart from Milan (blogpost coming soon!), is constantly hailed as the fashion capital of Europe. However, I wanted to focus on something a little different in this entry today. In Paris, haute couture is enduring, but haute cuisine is something worth exploring as well. 

Le Poulpry Restaurant Gastronomique Paris 
Address: 12, rue de Poitiers 
French fine dining at it's best. This restaurant is located on the campus grounds of la Maison des Polytechniciens. Unfortunately, this dining location is only open to professors and students of the university. Thankfully, family friends (who happened to be alumni of the school) were able to bring us to Le Poulpry for a lovely dinner treat over wine and a 3-course meal. Some dishes worth mentioning include the French cheese wonton filled with warm apricot slices and apple tart with fresh vanilla cream and sorbet to top it off. At 35 euros per person, this meal was worth every dollar, and every bite if I might cheekily add. ;)

Le Petit Montmatre 
Address: Place des Abbesses 
Reminiscent of an Italian bistro, Le Petit Montmatre was the perfect spot for people watching after our 3 hour walking tour of Montmatre and la Basilique du Sacré-Coeur. A fresh chicken salad and croque monsieur (a French take on the classic ham and cheese sandwich) later, I was ready to hit the Musée du Louvre and track down the elusive Mona Lisa. 

Chez Clement 
Address: 9 Place Saint-Andre des Arts 

Funnily enough, in search of warmth and comfort away from the harsh, bitter Parisian winds, my family and I ran into Chez Clement without having ever heard of the restaurant prior to our visit. Little did we know, Chez Clement would turn out to be one of the best dessert places in Paris! From profiteroles filled with ice cream to perfectly caramelised crème brûlée, the restaurant serves desserts as decadent as their entrees. The herb-crusted salmon is simply to-die-for! 

So there you have it! My take on haute cuisine in Paris. Hopefully this brief list of restaurants will help you if you were to ever journey to/back to the city of lights. 

Until my next post,

Bisous. 

What I'm Wearing (Pictured)  

Leather Jacket: Topshop

Sweater: KENZO Paris   

Prêt-à-Portea

"Inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world, Prêt-à-Portea adds a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious."

Date: 17th December 2013

Location: The Berkeley Hotel, London 

High tea in England is the quintessential experience. Whilst there on exchange, I made it for certain that I would try out as many high teas as possible. Imagine my delight when I found out about the designer high tea experience at the Berkeley! 

My reservation had to be made a month in advance (London Tip #1: if you want to dine at the famous places, reserve, reserve, RESERVE), and who better to bring along on this girly date than my best friend in the entire world! From the moment we stepped into the impeccable lobby of the hotel, fabulosity engulfed. Our table was already reserved with a personalised high heel placard with my name on it! The menu was explained, and the cocktails were flowing. The Pret-a-Portea menu is transformed every six months, following the changing seasons in fashion. From Valentino-inspired sponge cakes to Victoria Beckham fondant purses to Burberry trench coat biscuits, this fashion high tea is refillable in every sense of the way. Both your sweet and savoury tooth are fully indulged in the process, and if there are any leftovers, the restaurant packs it all up in a pretty little paper purse for you to bring home to indulge just a little further. ;)

To sum it up, this high tea is pretty, but pretty pricey as well. As it was nearing Christmas, Nat and I paid just about 70 pounds per person for the festive fashion afternoon tea set. The food was pretty to photograph, but pretty average on the whole. Nonetheless, a once in a lifetime experience, this fashion high tea left me feeling particularly stuffed and all too ready to board the train to the real fashion mecca of Europe, Paris. 

Bisous.  

What I'm Wearing (Pictured)  

Floppy Hat: TaoBao

Necklace: Accessorize  

Faux Fur Vest: H&M

White Bodysuit: Missguided 

The Calm before the Storm

Summer break has come and gone. And so has my 9 month blogging hiatus. I've been pretty busy these past few months, travelling the world (of which I will share my adventures soon!), attending summer school, travelling a tad more, and finding myself in the final leg of my undergraduate journey in Hong Kong. In case you're wondering, I spent my Junior Year embarking on two study abroad programs in the UK and US respectively. Honestly, they have opened my eyes to the world as a traveler (another blogpost regarding that to come soon!) and have contributed to memories I will never forget. Alas, it's time to get back to Senioritis mode and work my butt off for my final semester here at CUHK. 

Honestly, the past few days have been rough. I miss my friends, my family; my support system. I suddenly feel like the new kid on the block again. Countless Skype sessions and Whatsapp messages later, I feel ready to share some tips on how to survive what I call "The Calm before the Storm" - that unnerving feeling you get before something potentially life-changing is going to hit you in the gut. This post goes out to those who suffer from "Post Withdrawal Exchange Symptoms" in particular. 

Being on your own in a foreign country is no easy feat. I've learnt that since I was 16. The feeling feels particularly unsettling for me this semester. That sense of familiarity within my university has been replaced with a foreign sense of what this 'old' environment means to me. Thankfully, amazing friends here and amazing support from friends and family back home and around the world have meant a lot.  

Pick Up Something Completely Crazy

I know I'd always wanted to do pole dance since my UK uni days, but I've decided to officially enrol in an 8-week pole beginner course here at Melody Pole Studio in Hong Kong. My trial class starts next week, and let's just say, I'm excited as heck! 

Focus, Focus, FOCUS 

The final semester of your undergraduate life is supposed to be chill right? Nu-uh! It's the doorway to a whole new chapter of your life! You have to start applying for jobs, weigh your plans to further your education, build up your resume, and work out your long-term goals. Having just filmed and edited a video introduction for my advertising resume (think Elle Woods applying to Harvard University in Legally Blonde ;]), I'm already planning to take my GMATs this year so that I can apply for Business School next year. Yeap, I'm embarking on the MBA route. I've also got ambitious plans to graduate this semester with fabulous grades, because really, it's all about what you choose to prioritise. Set your goals, and channel all your energy into achieving them. You'll find your time being occupied much easily. 

Reconnect with the Old, Open up to the New

Your best support system is the one that comprises of the people who love and care for you. Keep in touch with the friends you have made over the years, and pretty soon, you'll find those lonely days slowly disappearing with more activities and things to do. Open yourself to new possibilities as well. Make new friends; these people are bound to leave footprints in your heart, one way or another. With one more semester to go, I'd like to think that I try to view myself on exchange here in Hong Kong. Play hard, study hard. I guess that's how the saying goes. ;)

Make it all about YOU

Focus on yourself. Allow for quality ME time, listen to music, meditate (a dear friend once suggested this to me), get a good night's rest, whip up a fancy meal for yourself...just do YOU and what makes you feel good. I know I'll be writing more blogposts and wanderlusting real soon!

Until next time,

Bisous.   

What I'm Wearing  

Bikini Set: Victoria's Secret PINK

Sunglasses: Ray Ban 

Crochet Coverup: Abercrombie and Fitch

Sweater Weather

'Ello loves! This marks my first official blog shoot in the UK, and with the lovely windy weather Britain has to offer, it's officially time to pull out the sweaters...and sneakers!
That being said, British girls love their sneakers. Whenever I'm on campus, I tend to see a blonde/brunette haired beauty donning a pair of high tops or Converse sneakers, paired with skinny jeans, leggings, tights and a cute leather jacket or sweater of sorts. The look exudes youthfulness, vibrancy and a tendency to make me look like I'm 16...but I digress.  
Wedge sneakers have been all the rage, and I decided to join the bandwagon after a trip to Camden Market in London a few weekends ago left me 20 pounds poorer with a brand new purchase from ALDO. I decided to go for brown this time, because half the shoes in my closet are black at the moment. And boy are these babies the comfiest wedged shoes ever!
Paired with a fur vest and statement necklace, a simple sweater and jean combination can be instantly glammed up for the high street. And yes, it was pouring when these shots were taken, but I'm sure you couldn't tell the difference right? ;)
Until the next entry, toodles!!!

What I'm Wearing  

Grey Sweater: River Island

Fur Vest: H&M  

Jeggings: New Look
Necklace: Accessorize

Bag: Michael Kors 

Shoes: ALDO

Little Britain

Greetings from England! Yes, I am in the land of sexy British accents, scrumptious international cuisines all blended into one, and shopping that can last me for days! In case you didn't know, I'm here in the UK for 3 months for an international exchange, and I've been loving every moment of it thus far! Everyone is so friendly here, and to be honest, I didn't actually think I would be shopping much when I got here. Oh, how wrong have I been! As a British university student, you are entitled to student discounts on most high street brands, from Topshop to H&M to New Look to Accessorize and the works. It's only been three weeks into the Winter semester, and I have probably spent hundreds of pounds on high street brands already, both online AND offline! One thing I have noticed about the Brits is that they LOVE their leather jackets, so be sure to invest in a stylish, cozy and warm leather jacket, like the one I recently purchased from Topshop, if you wanna blend in! 
Stay tuned for more blog entries to come, because I plan to be sharing with you the beauty of what England and Winter Fashion have to offer! Get ready for posts on Scotland, Amsterdam, Cambridge, and hopefully Sweden! 

What I'm Wearing  

Glitter Sweater: River Island

High Waist Jeggings: River Island  

Faux Fur Rimmed Leather Jacket: Topshop

Bag: Michael Kors 

Flats: New Look 

Keep Warm and Stay Fabulous!

La Femme en Noir

Yeap, I'm back...and this time, I'm back in black for a new brand new blogpost! This week, I decided to head down to The W Hotel at Sentosa Cove for a little high tea treat before heading to work. Speaking of work, I have truly had the blessed opportunity this summer to have two exciting internships, the first being an internship at Cosmopolitan Magazine, and my current internship involves me interning at a radio station as a radio deejay. As a Journalism and Communications student, I could not have asked for anything more. But I'll be sharing more stories on that for a later post. 
I only have about three more weeks in Singapore before I fly off to London for my year long exchange program to the UK and US, and pretty soon you guys will be seeing more Winter posts and picture perfect scenery that I would most definitely love to share with you all! 
That being said, shooting at The W Hotel was so much fun because the decor of the place is simply stunning, lavishly decorated, and if I were to decorate my future home sometime down the road, I would definitely use The W Hotel as a reference of sorts. Even the pool was so enticing that I felt like jumping in with my dress and taking a dip with all the other hotel guests.  
The high tea set is available at the Woobar @ W Singapore and was served in a very intricate manner, with sweet pastries adorning the insides of a metal bird cage, and savory treats presented neatly on a very Zen-esque wooden board. Coffee and tea were free flow, and the iced cappuccino I had was the refreshing perk-me-up I totally needed on a lazy Monday afternoon. Teas served are from the Dilmah tea brand and the Moroccan mint tea was the perfect beverage to cool down after stuffing ourselves with foie gras ganache tarts and passion fruit meringue pastries. 
This perfect afternoon could only end with a photo shoot by the marina before I was whisked away to work. If you're curious to hear how I sound like on-air, you can head on down to http://www.theliveradio.sg and <Listen Live> every weekdays from 6-10pm!

Until the next fashionable entry,
Toodles my loves!