If you are going to Sri Lanka, this hotel should be on top of your list

There are many pretty resorts dotted around Sri Lanka.  However, if you are looking for best of the best, the only one you should be considering is Amangalla in Galle.  Not only the resort is part of an Unesco world heritage site, but it also has the most luxurious room and best service on the island hands down.  The charming 18th century complex set within a 17th century Dutch fort used to be the New Orient Hotel.  It was taken over by Aman group in 2009 and it had never looked more ravishing since its existance.

Unfortunately, our experience at Amangalla started off on the wrong foot.  When we arrived, we expected staffs bring us fresh towels and welcome drinks like they do at pretty much every Aman we have ever been to.  Instead, we were made to wait at their lobby with no one to check us in.  Now if I was at Westin or Hilton, this would be fine.  However, we are at an Aman property and this is a very unusual reception from a brand that we love.  It was head scratching to say the least.

After 15-20 minutes or so, the temporary general manager (Pantelis) showed up and led us to our room.  He was friendly and we felt at ease after a long day of traveling from India.  Our butler then took over.  We had few requests including a question about air taxi on the island (its schedule and cost).  Our butler said that the air taxi is closed for the day so he won't have the answer until tomorrow.  Fair enough.  Then he proceed to ask me to remind him about the air taxi tomorrow as he may forget to check with them!  I thought that was the oddest request from a butler.  If he has hard time remembering (even though he looks like he's in his 20s NOT 60s), then shouldn't he be carrying a note pad so he can write down our requests?  I mean whatever happened to Aman topnotch service?

The room we were assigned to was absolutely beautiful.  It was a corner suite right on Church Street with gorgeous view of ocean from multiple windows.  The room essentially is divided into three parts: bathroom, bedroom area, and living room area.  The bedroom is not enclosed from rest of the suite so technically it's not a one bedroom.  We were able to tour quite a few of the guest rooms within Amangalla including spending a night at the Garden House Suite.  My personal preference is the Amangalla Suite on the 3rd floor as it has the best view not to mention lots of light.  The downside is that you have to climb 2 flights up and down everyday.  If you have knee problems, I would definitely not recommend this room as there is no elevator within the premise and the climbs can be quite steep (Modern risers are 7" high.  The ones here are higher and not uniformed due to age of the building).  There are plenty of ground floor rooms to be had and most have view of the lush garden if climbing stairs is an issue.

We decided to complaint to the new general manager Sean the following day about the shortcomings we experienced so far.  To Sean's credit, he made us feel at home right away.  We were assigned a new butler whom we love.  Had he been our butler the first night, I think I would had a very different assessment of this Aman.  We later found out that Sean just started managing Amangalla a day before we arrived!  Hence the lack of arrival reception and poor training of the first butler and the driver who picked us up at Colombo airport.  Sean came from Amanjiwo and Amanoi with twenty years of experience managing Aman properties and we literally saw him whip everyone into shape within 24 hours of our arrival.  It was a sight to be seen.  The guy definitely knows what he's doing.

All the food we had was well cooked and seasoned.  I would not say it's as good as one Michelin star restaurant but it was good.  Pasta was al dente and tea was yummy.  One night we had dinner with Sean and his beautiful lovely wife Lindsey.  Turned out that Sean used to be a chef before managing Aman properties.  They have wonderful stories to tell and just the loveliest couple to have dinner with.  Our waiter, on the other hand, doesn't understand the proper way to take care of his guests (our conversations were interrupted by him multiple times, etc.).  I can tell Sean knows he has his work cut out for him and I have every confidence that every staff at that restaurant had been retrained personally by Sean and is up to Aman standard within a month if not shorter!  One thing I like to mention is the Roti dinner.  If you have a chance, do it.  It's offsite and done in a traditional pavilion where they lit up the pathway with torches and candles from the main road.  You are surrounded by rice paddies and next to a lake.  It's very romantic and pretty.  You get a private chef and a waiter who are very professional and they serve you traditional Sri Lankan food which was quite delectable. 

The spa at the resort was absolutely gorgeous.  There are hydrotherapy chambers where couples can go and enjoy sauna, sit in a steam room, relax in a whirlpool, or dive into a cold plunge pool.  I believe there are two of them and they are free to all the staying guests.  You just have to reserve them before hand.  The treatment rooms were calming and zen like.  Each room came with a bathroom with shower/ steam room.  The water pressure was very good in the treatment room.

The pool area is lush and beautiful.  There are five cabanas next to a large pool where you can stretch out and have lunch.  Or if you prefer to lie down in lounge chairs to catch some sun, there are rows of them for you to do that as well.  While I was there, I saw maybe four, five people total so it was nice and private.  There was no need to fight over lounge chairs.

Aman is known for their local cultural experience offerings.  Amangalla is no different.  We had several which we enjoyed very much.  One was going to a tea plantation where we learned the history and process of tea making (this country was called Ceylon after all).  Another one was going to a cinnamon plantation where we learned everything and anything you ever want to know about cinnamon.  We even had someone showed us how cinnamon was harvested and how it was put together as cinnamon sticks.  I now see them in a brand new light whenever I am at my local spice isle in Whole Foods.  We also visited several projects by Bawa brothers as well as their own homes.  Bawa brothers are the most famous architect and landscape architect in Sri Lanka.  They were born in early 1900s and past away about 20-30 years ago.  Bevis Bawa, the landscape architect, is the older of the two and had a magnificent garden as one would imagine.  Geoffrey Bawa, the architect, is the younger of the two and he was the original proponents of Tropical Modernism.  His estate Lunuganga is not only a shrine of Geoffrey Bawa that one can visit, but you can also stay in some of the guest houses on the property!  Definitely a treat for his architectural fans.  Last but not least, your butler will take you around the 17th century fort and tell you the history of this important site.  It's interesting to hear that the original fort was actually built by Portuguese before taken over by Dutch.  Today, while majority of the people in Sri Lanka are Buddhist, most of the land owners of this iconic Sri Lankan fort are Muslims.  The fort itself while touristy, is actually very charming and worth a visit if you are not staying at Amangalla.

If you are coming to visit Sri Lanka, I cannot recommend this place enough.  It had been over a month since I was there and I can assure you that any kinks that had not been worked out before Sean laid his hands on Amangalla, it had been worked out and then some by now.  Sean had told me his vision for this wonderful resort and I have no doubt Amangalla will become one of those must stops for Amanjunkies in near future like Amanjiwo (which we have been) and Amanoi (on the to go list).             

A hotel worthy of its name: Taj Mahal Palace

Not to be confused with the Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal Palace is located in Mumbai not in Agra.  However, this hotel is almost as iconic as the world famous mausoleum that it was named after.  The hotel is full of old world charm that one would think it was built in 18-19th century during colonial time when East India Company ruled India.  Legend has it that Jamsetji Tata built the hotel in early 20th century because he was refused entry into the Watson's Hotel which was restricted to whites only.  Whether the story is true or not, I am glad that this luxurious hotel was built as its imprint to the city of Mumbai is as important as the Gateway to India next to it.

Originally the hotel had multiple entrances.  In fact, its old entrances are where the pool is at right now.  Currently the hotel has two reception areas.  One is located at the Taj Mahal Tower which was a new wing that was added onto the hotel in 1973.  This is the first reception one sees these days right after passing through the security zone.  The other one is fairly close to the pool area which is the original reception of the hotel.  Personally I like the old reception area much better as it retained its old world charm.

If your room is in the old section of the hotel, you can take the elevators next to the central dome to reach your floor.  The floor plan of the building is basically in the shape of letter C or a square with one side missing.  The corridor of the hallway is extra wide as sky light from the roof distill day light down to hallways below.  I imagine this was an effective way for the hotel to save electricity back in the day and today as well!  There are a total of 5 floors plus ground floor or in the US it would be noted as the building has a total of 6 floors.  The ground floor (in US first floor) is consist of public areas such as reception entry hall, bar, retail shops, and restaurants.  The first floor (in US second floor) is mostly hotel rooms with one exception: the famous Sea Lounge facing the Arabian Sea!  I was told many men propose to their girlfriends inside this particular lounge!  The second floor and up are all hotel rooms.  The corner rooms under the smaller domes are suites as well as most of the rooms in the top two floors of the hotel.

The room we stayed in is called Elephanta Suites #361(category: Grand Luxury Suites) which is named after the famous Elephanta Caves not too far from Mumbai.  The suite was quite spacious with a large bathroom with a free standing tub and a separate shower area, a bedroom, a living room, a vanity bathroom, a kitchenette, a dining room, and a sitting room.  The decor style juxtapositions old world charm with modern furniture.  I thought the suite was nicely done with the exception of sitting room area as there was a hodgepodge of furniture from many eras that crammed into a circular space.  It felt disjointed and off.  I get that the designer is trying to balance the space with modern and bygone era furniture but it just didn't work for me.  I thought making that room as a yoga room, or a library makes much more sense.  The best part of the room was the unrivaled view of the Gateway to India and Arabian Sea.  It was magnificent.  The Gateway to India looked stunning during the day as well as under a full moon.  The suite also comes with the largest exterior balcony of the hotel facing Gateway to India which adds to its allure.

Given how large the hotel is, I have to assume the service standard can't be that high.  Well, I was wrong.  The service standard at this particular Taj was as good as the Oberoi hotel in Agra.  What this means is the service standard is higher than most Four Seasons hotel and Mandarin Oriental hotel you will ever come across.  We were assigned a butler and he was fantastic.  Upon returning after a day of traversing through the city of Mumabi, our room was spotless and shirts were pressed to perfection.  Not to mention the last minute private heritage walk I requested and given by one of the hotel manager, I am thoroughly impressed by this hotel.  They even brought us two bowls of rose pedal foot baths without us requesting.  Knowing that our feet was tired after long day of walking.  It was a lovely gesture.

Food at the hotel was also delicious.  I particularly liked the Masala Kraft restaurant which replaced their French restaurant.  Their signature Indian restaurant has northern and southern Indian cuisine.  I thought my chicken curry was delectable as well as naan bread which I could eat all day long.  The weak link was the complimentary afternoon tea at the Palace Lounge which was only open to guests who stayed at suites.  I thought the scones was a bit dry and I wish they have more selection of sweets as well as salty food.  But the complaint is minor given how well I felt I was treated.

Overall I would not hesitate to stay here again.  I had thought about staying at the Oberoi Trident in Mumbai but I'm glad I stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace as location just can't be beat.  I love the view of the Gateway to India and the Arabian Sea.  I love that the private boat to Elephanta Island is literally across the street.  And lastly, I love the architecture of the hotel; it absolutely magnificent.

Camping is never so glamorous

When I think of camping, I think of going to bathroom in bushes, jumping in a river to take a shower, huddling in a sleeping bag, and eating out of a can for dinner.  Well, if all camps look like Amanikhas, I can get use to camping very fast!  My stay at Amanikhas was extraordinary.

The camp is about 3.5 hours away from Jaipur.  While it's only about 100 miles away which normally would take you hour and a half in the US, but in India, you have to deal with cows sleeping on streets, goats frolicking along the side of roads, camels pulling carts, and slow trucks moving at glacier speed not to mention most of the roads are about 1.5 car wide so half of the time you are not fully on a paved roads that are full of potholes.  Sounds like I'm complaining.  I think at first it was fascinating.  Then it got old fast.  But later I got so used to it that it became somewhat charming.

Anyway, once you arrive at Amanikhas, GM and other staff as well as your personal butler will come to greet you with towels and drinks.  Your butler will take you to your tent and we took tent #1 because it's the most private and it didn't hurt to stay in the same tent as Katy Perry and Russell Brand when they had their honeymoon at Amanikhas.

Our tent was absolutely gorgeous.  First there is actually a foyer area where there is a table with chairs where you can eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner on one side and a lounge chair with floor lamp on the other.  The foyer and rest of the tent is separated by canvas drapes to give you privacy in case you have foyer area's canvas rolled up.  Yes.  They thought of everything.  You can roll up the "wall" and just have bug netting separate you from outside.  This allow you to feel like you are outside without bugs flying all over you.  Once you pass through drapes, there is a huge leather cushion square sitting area where you can lounge or sleep on.  I suspect a lot of the mechanics are hidden under this huge ottoman.  The interior is basically separated into four areas once you pass the foyer.  The middle is a huge seating area/ daybed.  On the right is your bathroom with a working toilet behind canvas draping, a concrete tub that's set into ground, and a shower.  On the left is your closet plus two vanities where you can pretty yourself up.  It also has a hamper where you can throw all your clothes in and they will wash it and return it the very next day.  You can ask your butler to press anything you want so you can look dapper on your way into the safari park!  If you go forward pass the daybed, you will see a soft comfy king size bed.  The tent has several cleverly disguised air vents on the floor that regulate temperature inside your tent; so you are never too hot or too cold.  If not for the canvas wall, I would think I'm actually in a house not a tent!

Outside these amazing tents (and there are 10 total), there is a spa, a beautiful pond, an organic vegetable garden, an indoor dining room, a library with a shop, a fire pit, and a flower garden.  Let's just say even though I am in a tent camp, I can be pampered to the Nth degree if I choose to.  Make no mistake about it.

But let's face it, people don't come to Amanikhas so they can experience glamping.  They come because of the tigers in the Ranthambore Park.  Amanikhas is only few minutes away from the entrance.  You are required to reserve a guide, a driver, and a jeep to enter the park.  You are not allowed to drive your own car.  We were given an option of private or shared jeep outing before we arrive at Amanikhas.  We opted for two private and one shared outing during our stay.  Essentially you are paying for 6 seats if you opted for private or you paid for 2 seats as a couple if you decide to share.  You may get one other couple or two other couples.  It's random.  The park has 8 separate routes and you are assigned a route that morning.  If you had been to that route the day before, your safari guide can ask for a different route.  Besides the smaller jeeps, there is also 20 seater jeep which is obviously cheaper way to do safari.  The upside is you are higher up so presumably you can see further.  Downside to them is you are sharing a car with 19 other people plus some of the route only allow smaller jeeps as larger jeeps are just too big for some roads.  Furthermore, large jeep is less nimble so usually once someone spot a tiger, all other jeeps will magically know and rush over.  Big jeeps always ended up being the last ones to get to where tiger is and always stuck further back so harder to see tiger.  So if you can swing it, I would pick smaller jeep.  Outings are divided into mornings and afternoons.  When we were there, the morning outing was between 6:30-10:00 and afternoon outing was between 2:30-6:00.  Your guide as well as driver will not be allowed to come back to the park for several days if they don't leave by 10AM in the morning or 6PM in the afternoon.  Thus you usually see jeeps running for exit 15-20 minutes before 10AM and 6PM.     

We were woken up very early by our butler.  He brought coffee as well as some pastries and off we went to our private jeep safari.  All the jeeps at Ranthambore is open air jeep.  We didn't bring thick jackets as it didn't occur to us it would be cold in India in late February.  We were a bit unprepared for how nippy morning temperature would be. Luckily Aman gave each of us a warm pack and a blanket so we don't freeze to death.  It's the touches like this that really separates Aman from other resorts.  I doubt other resorts in town give their guests blankets and warm packs when they go on these safari trips in mornings.  In addition, Aman also give us some snacks and bottle water.

We were lucky with our sightings during our first private jeep outing; we literally saw a tiger napping 40 minutes before 10AM.  We thought we weren't going to see any tigers... just monkeys, deers, birds, and crocodiles.  So we were definitely very happy to see a tiger in the wild even though it was for a short time and tiger was fairly far away.  Our second outing was in the afternoon.  This time we decided to share a jeep.  Luckily it was just two guests from the Sherbagh resort next door.  The lady of the couple actually was at Ranthambore over a decade ago and went on several of these outings but did not see any tigers.  Luckily, this time was different.  We actually saw two tigers.  One was far away and the other was up close.  She literally shed some tears as she finally saw them in the wild after all these years.  We were feeling quite lucky.  2 for 2.  Should we continue another safari outing?  Well, we decided why not.  We are here and when will be the next time for us come to see a wild tiger on the other side of the world?  We decided to go private again.  This time, we were extremely lucky.  I would say 20-30 minutes in and we spotted a female tiger napping next to a road!!  We were literally less than 10 feet away from this majestic tiger.  It was absolutely amazing.  The feeling of seeing a wild tiger in their habitat is exhilarating.  I don't quite know how to explaining it.  You just have to experience it for yourself.

Between safari trips, we spent rest of the time inside the tent camp.  The site itself is very pretty.  The pond in the middle shimmers during the day and there is a hammock where you can lay in it and read a book.  Or you can get a massage which is what I did.  The spa is also in a tent... well, a very nice luxurious large tent with multiple rooms.  Each room comes with a treatment room and a ensuite bathroom.  There is an organic vegetable garden one can visit.  Apparently that's where all the restaurant vegetable came from.

Speaking of restaurant... food at Amanikhas is just as good as food at Amanbagh.  While I was there, I did not see anyone ate inside the dining tent.  Everyone ate outside or in their tent.  One time we ate next to a pool while musicians played Indian music which was quite nice.  Another time we had lunch next to the beautiful pond.  With birds chirping in the background; it was heavenly.

A minute away from the resort, you will come across a women cooperative shop.  I loved this shop as everything was priced very reasonably, empowers village women, and some of the stuff are actually nice.  If you go to Ranthambore, I highly recommend you patronize them.

Overall, I was very happy with Amanikhas.  Their service standard is typical Aman (meaning very high) and food was tasty.  The only thing they can improve upon is their souvenir shop.  I wish it is bigger with more stuff in it.  The ones at Amankila and Amanjiwo are huge comparatively speaking.  I particularly like the store at Amankila.  I want to buy everything in there.  Given that Amanikhas is close to Jaipur which is known for their gem stones and jewelry, they should definitely sell lots of necklaces and rings.  Also it would be nice if they sell traditional Indian clothes.  I got some when I stayed at Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.         

My favorite pieces from Spring and Summer this year

As we start to go into spring season, it's time to add to our existing wardrobe so that it will look fresh and new.  Here are few of my favorite pieces from the spring/ summer collection this year.

Valentino

This spring and summer season, Pierpaolo Piccioli brings us few themes: panther, stars with camo, ID camo, cuban cigar box embroidery, and rockstud.  I'm not a fan of the panther.  He found the pattern from Valentino archive.  I just find the whole panther look unappealing.  Stars with camo was a them he had for this past fall/ winter collection.  Personally I'm not fan of the combo.  ID camo is interesting as you can go into Valentino and have them print your initials onto bags, clothes etc.  A good way to ensure people buy your clothes at full retail!  My favorite from this season by far is the cuban cigar box embroidery collection.  I find the color combo on the embroideries very pretty.   Unfortunately this is also the most expensive among the spring offering from Valentino.  Last but not least is the rockstud collection which had been going on for awhile now.  Still looks good.

Loewe

Ever since Jonathan Anderson became its head designer, I thought it would give the brand a huge boost.  I thought the first season's clothes few seasons ago was very interesting and showed lots of promise.  The design proportion was new and just seem different from every other designers out there.  But since then, the proportion and design just gets weirder and weirder.  Luckily, the accessories are still quite charming.  I love the Anton backpack and various animal charm/ coin purse.

Gucci

If there was ever a maximist, Alessandro Michele has to be it.  While I love the new direction where Gucci is going to, sometimes it can just get too busy. With that said, I love the embroideries they do on all of their polo shirts.  The tiger, bee, snake motifs all look very charming and new.  I also love his souvenir jackets.  I would love to get one from Gucci every season.

Thom Browne

His clothes doesn't vary a lot.  It's either so out there that you can't really wear them unless you are going to a Halloween party... think big spikes on super wide shoulder blazers that make you look like a Frankenstein, or they look like a normal suit that's slightly shrunken.  Then of course he pulls a rabbit out of a bag and give you tote bags that look like a dog, a shark, or a steamboat!  I mean what can you do with those tote bags?  Can you really carry them down 5th avenue?  Well, minimally I think they are at least interesting to look at in your office.       

The place to stay on the island of St Martin

There are many islands to visit in the Caribbeans.  If you do go to St Martin, there is only one hotel you should consider: Belmond La Samanna.  This hotel has a gorgeous beach, delicious food, and good service.

The hotel is actually not that far from the airport.  The airport itself is on the Dutch side of the island.  The hotel is on the French side.  Even though it's on the French side, it's very close to the Dutch side which makes getting to the airport rather convenient... not that island is that big....

Once you arrive, you are greeted by a gorgeous hallway that frames the aqua blue water.  Staff brings you wet towels and drinks.  Once you check in, they bring a buggy to take you to your room.  If you are in the ocean looking back to the hotel, you will see the check in area actually sits on the highest point of property.  The hotel consist of clusters of villas.  The villas are usually two to a building.  One unit is upstairs and one unit is downstairs.  The upstairs one tend to have a large outdoor area and downstairs one is bigger but the downside is you have someone right on top of you.  Because I stayed in one of the upper unit, I'm not sure about sound insulation if you stay in downstairs unit.  We had someone stayed downstairs and I didn't hear a thing from them.  I would say the best ones to stay are B,C, D, E.  A is consists of several units.  Almost like an apartment building so less private.  All A to E units are literally right in front of the beach so very convenient if you want to go back to use restrooms, take showers, and what nots.

The finishes inside the room is nice.  I thought the bathroom was especially lovely despite the open shower.  I don't particularly care for open showers (seems like the concept is prevalent throughout Caribbeans) as water gets splashed everywhere but luckily bathroom is large enough that I don't feel like I'm drenching the whole bathroom each time I take a shower.

I remember reading some negative comments on Tripadvisor about the food at the restaurants so for several nights I went into town to eat at their local French restaurants.  The lunch I had at the beach restaurant was good.  I had a grilled fish which was cooked to perfection.  I was quite impressed as grilled fish can easily dry out.  The last night at the hotel, I went to their Trellis restaurant with trepidation.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  Having ate at multiple one, two, three Michelin star restaurants several time a year for decades, I would say the quality of food at this restaurant is on par with one Michelin star which is not an easy feat since we are in the middle of nowhere.  I'm a bit confounded by all the complaints.  The food wasn't cheap but it wasn't outrageously priced....I would say same with any other one Michelin star restaurants in San Francisco or New York City.

One of the biggest plus about this particular beach is that you can snorkel locally.  In fact, sometimes you have boats from other establishments that send people to snorkel near the beach.  While I did enjoy snorkeling at La Samanna, it didn't compare to Hanauma Bay in Hawaii or the Maldives.

Because St Martin is close to equator, you can really feel the sun rays beating down onto you.  I have been to other places that are hotter but sun wasn't nearly as strong.  So definitely make sure you wear lots of sunscreen. 

On the beach, there is a water sports center where they let you use snorkel gears for free.  If you are looking for motorized activities, those will cost you money.  They also have boats that can take you island hopping.  You can also rent beach cabana from them.  They have a few of them that looks fairly fancy and elaborate.  I'm guessing if you are not a guest of the hotel, this will be the next best thing to have a station on the beach.  Hotel also have several tennis courts which during my stay, I did not see anyone using them.      
 
Overall it was a lovely hotel.  Not the best hotel service I ever had but I would say it's good.  One minor complaint though, I do think they need to hire more beach staff as it takes awhile to get service when you are on the beach as there seems to be only two beach staff servicing the whole beach. 

The only place you want to stay at when you visit Taj Mahal

That place is Oberoi Amarvilas.  This is my first time staying with Oberoi resort group and definitely won't be the last.  This hotel is the closest hotel to Taj Mahal among all the hotels in Agra.  In fact, it is so close that you literally can see the Taj Mahal from one's window!  Not only the view was magnificent, but the service was just as fantastic.

We felt the legendary Indian hospitality right as we exit our car.  We arrived around 7PM after enduring over 5 hours of car ride from Amanikhas near Jaipur.   The lobby of the hotel was just stunning.  The central oval dome is painted in zigzag pattern in gold with a massive traditional chandelier hung in the middle.  It was just beautiful.  Once you pass the central dome, there is a gorgeously decorated lounge area on the right hand side or if you want a drink, bar is on the left side.  Everything was in pristine condition.  I was just amazed how well they take care of the property... thinking the place used to be a palace that was converted by Oberoi.  Later I found out the hotel was built in 2000!  LOL.  Well, in any case, the decor give you an impression that this place used to be a palace.

Our room was beautifully decorated.  I love the peacock blue in the bathroom.  I'm sure Kelly Wearstler had been to this hotel a time or two.  Unfortunately they don't lit Taj Mahal at night so one can barely make out Taj Mahal  from Oberoi.  Nonetheless, the garden at Oberoi was lit up like Christmas tree (in a good way).

Following morning Oberoi drove us on a golf cart to Taj Mahal.  Yes, the hotel is that close to the famous Tomb.  Once we soaked in the gigantic white marble building, we head back to the hotel to check out rest of the facility.  I have to say I have never ever seen a manicured garden as pretty as Oberoi Amarvilas'.  It's the most stunning formal garden in a hotel/ resort I have ever seen.  The colors were just incredible and with a backdrop of Taj Mahal to boot!  The pool in the middle of the garden had been painted in azure blue which popped among the most gorgeous patio umbrellas I have ever seen.  I need one of that STAT!

Inside the hotel, there are several boutiques where you can buy stuff to take home.  Luckily most of stuff were of good quality.  Nothing I hate more is buying tacky souvenirs.  One of the shop I like quite a bit is a store that sells paper mache boxes.  All the boxes and pen holders are hand painted.  The work on them are very detailed and definitely don't scream tacky.  Some of them are quite cheap too.  Tiny boxes started around $10.  I know I would charge a lot more if I have to sit down and painted these boxes myself... Not that I can paint as well as these people.  There is also a store that sells stone inlaid objects.  In fact, there are many such stores dot around Agra because Taj Mahal is covered by inlaid stones if you look closely.  The skill trade had been past down since Taj Mahal time.  The way Indian does it is very similar to Italian's.  In Italy the work is call pietra dura.  In fact, I saw some table top stone slabs that could easily be passed off as made in Italy.  Anyway, the store inside Oberoi has some fabulous pieces with price to match.  The price corresponded to number of inlaid pieces and how intricate the pieces were.  The smaller the inlaid work pattern, the more expensive the object is.  Some large boxes can be had for few hundred dollars while a tiny little box with intricate work can cost over a thousand.  The store in Oberoi had objects under a hundred dollar to stuff well into tens of thousands dollars.  So a little bit of something for every budget.      

Hotel food was also yummy.  We didn't feel like to do the formal Indian restaurant and opted for the casual one.  The service in the casual one rivals any one Michelin star restaurant in the US; attentive but not obtrusive.  There were plenty of Indian dish as well as European style food.  I had an Italian pasta that was cooked perfectly.  I was surprised and at the same time not surprised.  It's Oberoi after all. 

Following morning we checked out early as we had a plane to catch in Delhi.  The hotel manager came by and asked if we need a to go lunch box on our way to the airport.  The only hotel/resort group that I can recall with this kind of service is Aman and Aman is a much smaller operation.  For something as big as Oberoi Amarvilas, I don't know how they are able to personalize this kind of experience.  They come off as they really care about you and want to make sure every single detail is taken care of.  I highly recommend this hotel to anyone trekking to Taj Mahal.  They will treat you like a royalty.     

 

The most gorgeous villa I have ever stayed at!

I know I have said in the past "this is the most gorgeous villa I have ever stayed at" before.  But this one truly is!  LOL.  I suppose I've cried wolves one too many times.  With that said, my villa at Cheval Blanc Randheli is the most expensively decorated villa I have ever stayed at bar none.  We are talking about Minotti furniture, drawers with stitched leather lining, etc.  Well, let me take you all the way back to Male first.

Once we arrived at the capital of Maldives, we were ushered by several ground staffs from Cheval Blanc and were whisked off to their air conditioned reception room in the seaplane section of the airport.  We were given a snack menu.  I wasn't particularly hungry so I only had one pastry and a glass of freshly squeezed juice.  And yes, they literally made the juice onsite.  We waited for about 20 minutes and the Cheval Blanc's private seaplane was ready to take off.  The seats were covered in leather and there were 9 of them total.  I believe the public seaplane has 18 seats.  Thus CB's is obviously more spacious and comfortable.  Staff handed out ear plugs and off we go.  The interior of the seaplane was not air conditioned so it was a bit warm.  But as soon as we were air born, it got cooler.  After flying for about 40 minutes, we arrived at Cheval Blanc dock with 7 staffs welcoming everyone.  Of course they know everyone's name right off the bat and we were whisked away by our butler to our over water villa via a buggy.

Our over water villa was absolutely stunning.  The ceiling must had been 18' high.  When you enter the foyer area, there are two hidden doors.  One on the right and one on the left.  Right side door led to a pantry kitchen with fridge and a sink.  This is where your butler will compose all your food before he bring it into your living room or exterior deck.  The door on the left hand side led to a powder room which had another door that led to the deck in the back.  Pass foyer and you entered into a marvelous living room.  Just about everything in that room was made in France/ Italy.  The Italian sofa sat beautifully.  The rug was silk or silk blend.  A wall of glass windows of view of Indian ocean was beyond.  Next to living room you have master bedroom area segregated by swinging panels that can be enclosed.  Bed was soft and cozy and they have a huge menu of pillows you can choose from should you not like the pillows on the bed.  Pass bedroom you come to a gorgeous free standing soaking tub and behind the feature wall with a Vincent Beaurin's limited edition coloured spots artwork is a rain shower enclosed by glass walls.  Behind the bedroom there is a beautiful closet with ample closet space and drawers to put all your clothes.  Astonishingly each drawer is lined with stitched leather lining.  This kind of detailing is done only for very expensive private homes as the cost can be prohibitive.  I have never seen this done in any hotels/ resorts.

Each villa is given two bikes which is great as they allow you to come go as you please.  Waiting for a buggy to come pick you up never takes a long time but I prefer to be on the go when I want to so bikes are great.  I didn't realize this until later.... in order to stop these bikes, you have to pedal backwards.  There are no brakes on handles.  One time I almost flew off my bike because I couldn't stop!  Besides biking, there was snorkeling right off our villa.  The amount of tropical fish I saw surpass what I saw at Hanauma Bay.  In fact, one day I must have seen hundreds and hundreds of tuna fish right below our villa.  I have never ever seen that huge of school of fish in my life except on TV.  They were swimming in circles for unknown reason.  Besides fish, I saw a sting ray, several squids, and dauphins.  It was just incredible.  Of course there is also a gym next to the main complex.  I went there to do an hour of workout.  I was the only person!  HA!

Speaking of working out, I was trying to burn off all the delectable food from various restaurants on the island.  Food at this resort was just incredible.  I would say most of them minimally one Michelin star and their signature 1947 would be a two Michelin stars level food.  To achieve this level of cooking in the middle of nowhere is astonishing to say the least.  The Italian restaurant Deelani near seaplane drop off was yummy.  Every single pasta dish we had were perfectly cook and presented.  However, cost of food was eye watering.  Two pasta dish, one pizza, and two ice tea came out to be $250! This was almost double what it would had cost at Cipriani in NYC.  But then again, we were in the middle of nowhere....   Food at 1947 was great.  I don't know how they can cook this kind of food in a place so far from anywhere.  The tab without wine came out to be $1000 for two!  So food was definitely pricey but at least everything we had was tasty.  At some point, you just want them not show you food bills anymore because what's the point?  Diptyque is their signature Japanese restaurant.  If you are into sushi/ sashimi, then you are in for a treat.  Their cooked Japanese food is just so so.  I would not bother with this restaurant if you don't eat raw fish.  The worst (expensive) food I had onsite was their Maldivian night.  The food was like a bad Sri Lankan food and for $175/ person, I would skip it.  On top of that, resort had a group of teenage kids came out and do awful singing and dancing.  It was atrocious.  I was expecting Hawaiian luau but I feel like I got punked instead.  Luckily they alternate the entertainment with a small band that come out after those teenage boys and sang Maldivian version of American popular songs which was very lovely.  The lead singer had a beautiful voice.

The spa island is something one must try.  In order to get there, I had to take a small boat.  It was actually rather lovely to have to take a boat to get a spa treatment.  Once you arrive on the spa island, you enter this gorgeously designed reception area.  Your treatment specialist then take you to a small private villa where you get pampered.  I had a deep tissue massage and it was the best hotel/resort massage I ever gotten.  My guy was from Malaysia and he went in deep.  Nothing I hate more is getting a massage where your masseur just lap on oil and roll that oil back and forth on your back.  This guy attacked my knots and at the end, I was a whole new person.  In the villa, they also have a shower where you can rinse off and a whole area where ladies can reapply their make up.  They even supply a large selection of Guerlain products in case you didn't bring yours.  It's a very thoughtful touch.  On the island, they also have a spa cafe.  It's a lovely space to watch sunset and sip on fresh juice.

My understanding is that once Cheval Blanc Randheli opened, a large section of people from One and Only resort came and never went back.  I was told that One and Only resort is much bigger thus had hundreds of rooms versus less than 50 at CB.  Because the One and Only resort had the land, it's more private.  However, if you are looking for topnotch villa finishes and food, CB is it.  I would like to try One and Only someday as well as Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru.  When that happens, I will put Cheval Blanc Randheli as the last resort I visit among all three as I have a feeling, it is the best one.  Until then, I shall go back to relive my time at CB via videos and photos.  

Amanjunkie: Amanbagh Edition

I really had zero expectation for my trip to Amanbagh at the city of Ajabgarh.  Well, technically, it's right outside of Ajabgarh.  After flying into Mumbai via London from New York, then transferring to an Indian domestic flight from Mumbai to Jaipur, I was about dead after the long flight and lay overs...24 hours so far... Amanbagh had sent a driver to pick me up from Jaipur airport to the hotel.  The drive was about 2 hours long.  This is the first time for me in India so I didn't know what to expect.  Soon enough, our car was sharing roads with cows, sheep, camels, dogs, and everything in between!  It was an interesting drive to say the least.

Once I arrive at Amanbagh, the staff gathered to welcome me.  A lady came out singing in Indian language and right away tone was set.  It was a fantastic way to give you a sense of place.  I received a garland of marigold and was accompanied to my pool suite.  In side the main structure, Aman had hired a flutist playing traditional Indian music.  Amanbagh definitely know how to create mood.  On the way to my suite, I saw an absolutely gorgeous pool in the middle of the property.  It was stunning.  And throughout the walk, I can hear birds singing.  I felt like I was in some kind of paradise.

My suite was equally as beautiful as rest of the property.  A small courtyard acted as a segregation device to separate public walkway and my villa.  Once inside my villa, I can choose to go to right which is sleeping quarter or left which is bathroom and closet area.  Decoration at Aman properties is typically fairly sparse.  This is done to their advantage IMO as interior design, like fashion, does age as time progress.  The less decor you have inside a place, the harder it is to date an interior.  Hence most Aman properties have a timeless feel to them partially because they lack intricate interior decoration.  This can be good and bad depending on individual.  For me, I appreciate their more austere aesthetic.  In this particular case, I would say this is a more elaborated decorated Aman suite than other ones I've seen.  Behind the property, you have an outdoor eating area and a decent size swimming pool (ie bigger than dipping pool which one typically see at resorts).  I did see some water damage on roman shades.  I'm assuming because of the yearly monsoon season, this is inevitable.  Of course Aman can have the drapery cleaned yearly, but I'm assuming it may not be cost effective?  Nonetheless, the villa had luxurious feel to it.  I was very happy with it.  The biggest draw back for me is traffic sound which you can hear when you are outside your villa.  Now my villa is far away from the main road that traverse through this part of the world.  However, occasionally, you will hear Indian music being blasted by a truck driving by.  The juxtaposition of birds chirping and Indian music is a bit jarring but I suppose that's part of the charm of the place.

The food at the resort was very fresh.  Most vegetables, if not all, are from their organic garden.  The quality of the food was very good.  While it was not one Michelin star level, I would say the sophistication was just a notch below one Michelin star.  Their naan bread was delectable.  The best I ever had.  I can eat those naan all day long.  Another benefit of eating at Amanbagh is you can safely eat their salad as you don't have to worry about water contamination/ pesticide with their vegetable.  Ice cubes at Aman properties in India are also made by filtered water so there is no worries on that part.  All in all, this Aman probably has the best food at any Aman properties I have ever stayed at.

What set Aman properties apart from all other luxury resorts is their cultural activities.  They give you a set of activities you can choose from if you decided you want more than just spa treatments and doing absolutely nothing.  For me, I chose to do the following: Bhangarh Visit, Aarti at Barakhambi Temple, Needlkanth Temple followed by Mansarovar Lake, Camel Ride followed by Cow Dust Tour, Maharani Massage, Pratapgarh Fort, and Chhatri Dinner.  While sounds like I was everywhere and doing everything.  Truth of the matter was in no time did I feel like I was rushing through any of these experiences.  In fact, most of my day there didn't start until after 1PM.  My very favorite activity of the bunch was Pratapgarh Fort.  It's only about 30 minutes car ride from the resort and it's EVERYTHING.  The fort is high up on a small mountain and the only way up is trek up a gravel hill.  When you get near the front entry point near top of the mountain, there are some stairs that were constructed recently.  Otherwise you are just scaling up 30-45 angle gravel path...not for people with weak knees for sure.  Once you get up to the 18th century fort, you have a commanding view of the surrounding towns and valleys.  The view is majestic and the fact that my group was the only people up there is just fantastic....no people talking...no flashes going off people's phones like at Taj Mahal.  It's just silence with occasional bird chirping and wind blowing.  I feel like I'm in a role playing game like Zelda and traveling through an abandoned fort on my way to find treasures!

With regrets that I couldn't stay longer than few days.  All good things must come to an end.  I shall return someday.  Hopefully soon.        



     

Buying for that someone who has everything!

Let's just say you have a cousin who has everything she wants.... well, maybe except that $81 million dollar Monet Haystack painting that was sold less than two weeks ago at Christie's auction house.  And clearly you don't have the budget that even come close to affording that insanely priced painting, what do you do?

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you know I love buying artist collabs utilitarian stuff. Here's a collection of art x stuff (much more affordable than the Monet Haystack) that you can afford to giveaway as Christmas gifts.  And who knows, they may go up in value 50 or 100 years from now!!  ;)

Flower Packable Tote Bag.  $26.  This is a tote bag by Herschel Supply co. and is a great bag on the go.  You can fold the tote bag to 6" x 8" and just stick it in your purse.  The bag is designed by Takahashi Murakami for Complexcon.  At $26, you can't really go wrong. 

Water Bottle.  $28. This water bottle is designed by Alex Katz for Art Production Fund.  It's a perfect water bottle for using at a gym.  Just because you are sweating doesn't mean you can't be stylish at the same time.

All You Need Is Love T-shirt.  $38.75.  This T-shirt, designed by Damien Hirst for RED few years ago, is still on point.  All profit from the sale of this t-shirt goes to RED that finances programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.  Fashion never looked so good.

Come to think of it, this is a perfect outfit for your cousin's yoga class!  She can use the Murakami tote to carry her Katz water bottole and Hirst t-shirt to her gym.  Now if only I can find an artist designed yoga mat....





 

The best hotel in the world!

According to Conde Nast Traveler readers, Eden Rock in St Barths is the best hotel in the world.  Surely Pippa Middleton, whom had vacationed at ER, agrees as her in-laws to be are the ones who own the resort.  But just how good is Eden Rock?  I set to find out for myself.

The motto of the hotel is "Anything is possible".  And that's pretty much the attitude of the staff at Eden Rock I encountered.  Service is over the top and finishes of the rooms are either eclectic or luxurious.

After arriving from St. Martin via a propeller plane, the only way (besides boating) to reach St Barths island as the existing runway is short, you are whisked away by the staff of Eden Rock.  Bottle waters and cold towels were supplied in the one minute car ride to the resort.

My room wasn't ready but they provide me with a small temporary room that I can stash my stuff, take a nap, change to a swim trunk, or take a shower.  Very thoughtful.  I imagine these rooms are used quite often for people who arrive early or with super late checkouts.

The hotel is basically laid out in three sections.  In the middle section, you have the rock where there are several categories of rooms available.  The cheapest ones are called Legacy rooms where essentially you are facing away from ocean and to either garden or mountain views.  The most expensive ones are the ones facing ocean.  Christopher Columbus suite is the most expensive and newest.  It's essentially a huge one bedroom suite with insane views.  Above Christopher Columbus suite is Howard Hughes suite which is the second most expensive suite on the rock and is currently under renovation.  It is being made into a two bedroom suite.  I imagine it would be perfect for a family with kids or two couples.  Like Christopher Columbus suite, it also has fantastic views.  De Haenen Suite is below Christopher Columbus suite and has similar view as CC suite although the finishes is much more eclectic to reflect Mr. De Haenen's taste.  Mr. De Haenen was the original owner of Eden Rock resort.  Last but not least, Garbo Suite also has wonderful views of the ocean and cost about the same as De Haenen suite.  The difference is De Haenen suite has front and center view of the ocean but ceiling is lower hence feels less gracious where as Garbo suite view is not as good as De Haenen but ceiling is higher hence the room feels more spacious.  There are few other premuim suites on the rock such as Fregate and Harbour House.  They are currently under renovation so I didn't get to see them.  They have bay view and are cheaper than De Haenen and Garbo suites.

The right section is compose of Fontaine, Michaels, and James suites.  James being the largest of them all and have a private dipping pool and ocean/ bay view.  It's priced higher than De Haenen and Garbo suite.  If you are coming with family, Fontaine is a good option as it has two separate bedrooms (the master has view of the bay whereas the other room has minimal views) and an interior private pool.  Michael is basically a smaller version of James suites.  I would say the con to stay on this side would be it's literally next to Nikki Beach thus you will definitely get lots of noises during lunch time.  I believe Nikki Beach closes at 7PM.

The left section is composed of beach houses and two ultra luxurious villas.  If you are in the mood to spend money, Villa Nina or Villa Rockstar is definitely for you.  Both villas, next to each other, are huge with Villa Rockstar the biggest property at Eden Rock.  Finishes at both villas are insane and if you have a large entourage, you can even combine both villas as the wooden wall between both villas can slide open to create a gigantic villa.  Both villas also have parking space for your car rental.  I believe Villa Rockstar comes with it's own car.

If spending five figure daily rate is not in your budget and you have more than two people in your party, I would highly recommend Frangipani which is the villa I stayed in (although if you go during December through March, which is their high season, Frangipani is priced at five figure).  It's a three bedroom villa that comes with its own kitchen, two outdoor dining areas, a private pool (the most private at Eden Rock, even more private than the ones at Rockstar and Nina as no one can see in), a Jacuzzi, and a large rooftop balcony.  It's essentially two buildings connected by a shared garden.  One of the building has kitchen, living room, and powder room downstairs and a bedroom with bathroom upstairs.  The other building has basically one bedroom suite upstairs and one bedroom suite downstairs.  The design is quite smart as the way they layout the bedrooms, it can function as three separate cottages.  The only exception would be the rooftop terrace is shared unless they put up a removable wall which I think they should in case they can't rent out the whole Frangipani suite, they can break it up and rent the buildings individually.

I would say Beach House side (left section of the resort) is the quieter side of the resort and probably the most convenient as you are just steps away from the powder white sand beach but far enough away from restaurants where most of the noises will be coming from. 

The food at Eden rock is quite good.  I went to Sand Bar, their beach restaurant, to grab lunch and let's just say their truffle pizza is possibly the best tasting pizza I ever had.  It oozes truffle oil and is super fragrant and tasty.  Rock bar is nice.  They serve you nuts with truffle flavor and they are free!  I find it almost funny that even warm nuts are drenched in truffle.  Can it be more over the top than this???  It's just one of the luxurious details that made Eden Rock number one in the world.  I thought the food at On the Rocks was solid.  I was hoping for Jean George NYC level great but it definitely was not.  I thought L'Isola restaurant in Gustavia and the main restaurant at Le Toiny resort are a notch better than On the Rocks.  By the way, food prices at St Barts is not that expensive when you are used to NYC and SF prices.  It's on par with both cities.  However, if you live outside of those two places, prices may come as a shock to you.

I went to see the beach at Cheval Blanc resort as I heard they have a nice beach as well.  I have to say I thought Eden Rock's beach at St Jean bay is prettier.  The wave is also stronger at Cheval Blanc.  Since I'm not a good swimmer, I prefer Eden Rock's gentle waves.  There are turtles in the St Jean Bay.  I was lucky to saw couple and actually swam with one for a good twenty minutes.  Besides turtles, there doesn't seem to be a lot of fish....specially when compare to Hanauma Bay in Oahu.  Nonetheless, the water is so clean and color is absolutely gorgeous.  The ocean color is prettier than the ones I seen in Hawaii or Bali.  Eden Rock also assign you to same lounge chairs for the duration of your stay so you don't have to get up early to grab your seat which is nice.          

Overall, the service level is very high at Eden Rock.  I find all the staffs extremely friendly and helpful.  The hotel is centrally located and if you are into the "scene", it's an absolutely no brainer to stay here.  Sand Bar is one of those place that is great to people watch and being seen.  Because the resort only has 34 guest rooms and villas, it is routinely sold out especially during Christmas holiday.  Many of their guests come back year after year staying in the same room.  Depending on when you come, prices can sometimes double!  Would I return again?  Absolutely!  I thought the guests I met were all very nice and not snobby at all as one may have assumed.  The Eden Rock experience was worth the money.  At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.  Have I seen better finished resort rooms?  Yes.  But if you routinely travel, you know hardware is the easy part.  It's exceedingly hard to get the right service staff.  This hotel staff are all topnotch.  They are best of the best.  It is the combination of gorgeous beach, perfect staff, delectable French cuisine, and friendly guests that made this resort a must stop for every globetrotter.        

Difference between Louis XIV and Louis XV style

Nothing irritates me more than some interior designers, whom clients rely on for their knowledge of interiors, confuse the style between Louis XIV and Louis XV.  Often times, even though they may know there are differences between Baroque and Rococo style, they fail to acquire the knowledge.  I see in magazines that a Rococo chair been described as Baroque style and on television Baroque interiors get confused as Rococo style.

Baroque style started in 1600s and probably the most famous building in Baroque style is the Palace of Versaille outside of Paris.  If you stand in front of the palace,  you will notice that architecturally, the building is stately, balanced, and formal.

Rococo style started around 1720s as people got tired of formality and desired more playfulness in their everyday living.  The most famous building in Rococo style is the Hermitage Museum/ Winter Palace.  Comparing it to Versaille, you will notice the outside is less formal and use of color is lighter and less stuffy if you will.      

So what is the biggest difference between both styles when it comes to interiors?  The biggest difference between both style is symmetry.  Baroque style is always symmetrical whereas rococo style tends to be asymmetrical.  In addition, Baroque furniture tends to be heavy visually.  In response to the heaviness, Rococo is usually very playful and light.

The easiest way is look at plaster on the wall when one is trying to identify if a room is Rococo or Baroque.  With a Rococo interior, which the word Rococo is derived from the French word Coquilles (seashell), you will often see seashells.  So whenever you see seashell plaster work on a wall, you are most likely looking at a Rococo interior.  

When it comes to furniture, it is actually pretty easy to identify which ones are Baroque and which ones are Rococo.  Case and point.  Here is a Boulle commode (chest of drawer) on the left hand side.  Andre-Charles Boulle is often associated with Baroque style.  The chest of drawer is ornate and heavy looking.  It looks like it will easily take an army of four guys to lift this chest up.  As you can see, the decoration is symmetrical.

On the right hand side, we have a BVRB commode.  BVRB, aka Bernard II Van Risemburgh, is often associated with Rococo style.  Here we have a chest of drawers that is covered in Japanese lacquer.  As you can see, the image on the lacquer is not symmetrical and the feet that commode stands on are much smaller compare to Baroque chest of drawers.  Even the gilt bronze decoration is much lighter and more delicate looking.

A stroll through the New SFMOMA

 
SFMOMA had not been opened for that long but it certainly had made plenty of headlines.  The new addition done by Snohetta, next to the iconic Mario Botta cylinder, is beautiful.  But how well does the new addition talks to the original building is whole another matter.

I visited the museum couple months ago.  I was very excited as I missed looking at modern art here in SF and was eager to have them back into my life.  Having another world class building in SF is equally exciting and I was looking forward to see how Snohetta gel the old space and new space together.  Furthermore, I was looking to see how the existing collection speaks to the Fisher collection.

As I approach the museum on 3rd street from Folsom street, I wasn't sure if I was suppose to into the building from the old entrance via Botta's building or there seem to be another entrance right on Howard Street.  I took a chance to walk into a gap on Howard Street hoping I do not have to backtrack to the original entrance by Botta on 3rd street.  As luck would have it, looks like there is an entrance on Howard street although I did have to climb few stairs up.

Right near the entrance there is a giant sculpture by Richard Serra that reminded me of the one I saw at Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum.  I was happy to finally see one here in San Francisco.  Getting a ticket was easy and I got an audio headset to help me understand the collection better.  Off I go.

I took an elevator all the way to the top and start going from top to bottom.  The Fisher collection in the new building was impressive.  It basically has who's who of modern art.... from Alexander Calder to Gerhard Richter, from Chuck Close to Andy Warhol.  However, I'm not seeing any of the paintings that were in the old Botta building.  With the incredible collection from Fisher, SFMOMA's modern art collection will be elevated to second best Modern Art collection in the world but where are old paintings???

Finally I came down in the new building far enough that now it is connecting to the old building.  There is a stark difference between the old and new building.  I would think they minimally refreshed the old building to make it look more cohesive with the new one.  Well, maybe they ran out of money because nothing was done.  A good addition will make you feel the two buildings came together as one.  This one, unfortunately feels like two separate buildings that desperately want to get away from each other.  There is a stark contrast between new part and old part.  And the old SFMOMA collection are all hiding in the Botta building.  I came to realization that essentially the Snohetta building is the Fisher wing of SFMOMA.  There is no flow between the collection which begs one to wonder why doesn't Fisher just open their own museum and call it a day?  Why do they want to be under the SFMOMA moniker and then essentially want nothing to do with the existing collection?  Just seem so odd to me.

Once I got down to the first floor, I saw the old Botta atrium was gone and Snohetta had built a brand new stair right in the middle.  I was aghast to say the least.  Not that I was a big fan of the old Botta building but by building a giant stairwell in the middle of the atrium, Snohetta had essentially killed off the Botta building.  The essence of the old Botta building is that atrium.  Which made me wonder why didn't they just torn down the old Botta building and start anew?  To me that would make much more sense and make the whole museum feel more cohesive.  My guess is money.

I have to say I was happy to see the new addition but sad to see how separate it is.  SFMOMA right now is in a no men's land.  The experience of viewing the collection as a whole is disjointed and the experience of walking through the old and new space is odd too.  I guess that's what happen when you want a highly valuable collection to join the museum....you are at their mercy.  According to SF Chronicle, SFMOMA won't be owning the collection down the line either.  It's all on loan from the Fisher Art Foundation.  Although the loan is 100 years long and can be renewed at 25 year increment after, makes you wonder are all those art loans from Fisher family worth it for SFMOMA to bend forward and backwards for them?

 

Thais copied from us

There are few iconic places I feel should be on all traveler's bucket list: Versaille, Great Wall of China, Pyramids, and last but not least Angkor Wat.  AW is a temple located in the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia.  If you are looking to go there from US, your easiest bet is probably fly directly to Hong Kong, then take a nonstop flight on Dragonair to Siem Reap.

Before coming here, there are few things you need to know.  First there are two seasons, monsoon season which is basically May till November.  Dry season is December to April.  Best time to go is January or February because it is the coolest time of the year and are the none raining months on the calendar.  I went at the end of October.  There were some rain here and there but typically it rains hard for 30 minutes and rest of the time is either sunny or overcast (and humid!).  In terms of visa, you do need a visa to go to Cambodia.  I got mine in the US; it was an easy process.  Last but not least, even though the official currency is Cambodian Riel, in reality it is US Dollar.  You don't need to change your money to Riel before you come here as Dollar is pretty much accepted as the defacto currency.   

Khmer culture is an interesting one.  Before coming to Cambodia, I did very little research as my friend who lives part time in Siem Reap had asked her friend, who's a professor at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, to come and lead me to various temples.  Since he teaches history of these temples for living, I was thrilled to have him as my guide as he knows these temples better than just about anyone in the World.  After few days spending with him, two highlights I learned was: 1. These temples used to be Hindu temples and they are greatly influenced by Indian mythology. 2. Things that I associate with Thai style actually originated from Khmer culture.  The funny thing is I told him XYZ looks so Thai.  Did Cambodians copy Thai?  He replied, actually Kingdom of Cambodia came way before Thailand existed.  They copied us.  Me: oopsy..... #facepalm.  Few temples I love to highlight (despite I saw more than a dozen temples within few days... I lost count on how many): Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, Neak Paon, Bayon, and Banteay Chhmar.      

Area around Angkor Wat was made even more famous by Hollywood hit film Tomb Raider starting Angelina Jolie that came out in 2001.  Most people associate the film with Angkor Wat.  But in reality, the film was shot at Ta Prohm temple which isn't too far from Angkor Wat.  This temple is best known for overgrown trees straddling temple walls and roof.  It's an absolute must for anyone visiting Siem Reap.  It is purposely not rebuilt so that it can have a neglected look which I much prefer when compare to Angkor Wat.  Because of the movie, there will be whores of people so go early.

Angkor Wat temple is a huge Khmer Palace built in 12th century.  The ground is big.... over 400 acres!  It was originally Hindu then turn Buddhist.  So you can see Hindu carving on walls and Buddha stand alone statues on the top floor.  On the bottom floor you will see bas-relief friezes along an open gallery.  The amazing carvings just go on and on and on.  You can spend all day just following the story on these carvings.  This temple had been cleaned up more so than any other temple around.  While it definitely doesn't look spanking new, I prefer the ones that look less pristine.  I was told usually there are tons of people standing in front of these friezes but on the day I was there, I could roll a bowling ball down the gallery blind folded and it would not hit anyone!  I was happy to finally see Angkor Wat, but it was not my favorite temple. 

Neak Paon (Holy Island) is a temple in the middle of a lake.  I was told when the temple was first created, it was in a lake.  However, the lake had slowly dried up centuries ago and people started to farm there.  The government of Cambodia decided fairly recently to flood the existing farmland and return the temple to its original state.  The only way to access the island would be to walk along wooden plank path from shore to the island.  Flooding of the farmland was controversial but I get why they did it.... the lake is just beautiful.  The temple itself is actually in the middle of another lake which you can't really get to but the sight of the exterior lake and the romance of walking on this long wooden path to reach this holy island made this excursion worth it.  Neak Paon is not the most popular temple in Siem Reap but I highly recommend it.

Bayon is one of those iconic temple that when I first saw it for the first time, I had a revelation... I saw that face on a wood carving at my local spa before!!  Now I know where that face came from.  Chances are you also saw that smiling Buddha face relief panel at your local spas as well.  Besides hundreds of smiling Buddha's all over the walls, there are also carvings of a naval battle among other mythology.  This temple is centrally located in the temple area and you will definitely pass it when you go see Angkor Wat.  I would say 100% worth your time to walk through this temple.

Last temple I like to highlight is actually not in Siem Reap.  It's actually about 2.5 hours of bump road ride outside of Siem Reap close to Thai border.  It's one of those temple that is so rundown that if you want to truly experience what it feels like when Angkor Wat was first discovered by an outsider, this temple definitely fit the bill.  Because it is so far from Siem Reap and the road to Banteay Chhmar isn't exactly all paved asphalt, few tourist ever made it to there.  In fact, the asphalt was laid just few years ago so it used to take even longer.  The fruits of the long ride is you pretty much get to tour the whole temple all by yourself.  It literally look like Tomb Raider/ Indiana Jones movie set... overgrown trees intertwined with falling apart temples.  You have to climb over rocks, well, more like what used to be temple pillars/ ceilings, to reach the inner sanctum.  This temple is best known for the thousand arm Buddha bas-relief.  I believe it's the only kind in existence in a Cambodian temple.  I was told the whole temple has two or three of this particular relief.  Because the temple is so close to Thai border, my understanding is smugglers would pop over from Thailand from time to time and chop up the temple to sell on the black market in Thailand/ Western world.  So if you get a chance, definitely go see it before all the reliefs get stolen.

On this trip, I didn't go to Phnom Penh so I can't say anything about it.  But I did left Siem Reap with great memories of the history and the people of this wonderful country.  I look forward to return to Cambodia someday.            

Yummy German food!!!?

According to S. Pellegrino's the World's 50 Best restaurant list, Restaurant Tim Raue is ranked number 34 this year.  This restaurant in Berlin, Germany, is the highest ranking German restaurant on the list and recipient of two Michelin stars.  So when I had a chance to travel to Berlin, I knew I had to stop by.  And boy was I glad I did.

The decor of the restaurant is nice and simple.  Couple birdcages at the entrance to give an IndoChine vibe to the decor.  Menu was concise as well.  The tasting menu I had consists of 6 small dishes of chef's compliments.  Those were delicious... lots of Asian flavors one would associate with Southeast Asia.  The first dish was a carefully composed Imperial Caviar that looks like delicate macaroons.  Let's just say they melted in my mouth in a New York second.  The second dish was White Asparagus.  Tasted like spring to me!  After that was Hamachi.  Perfectly cooked.  Then came the prawn.  The tomato sauce was amazing.  I wanted to lick the plate.  The fifth dish was the suckling pig.  This was unfortunately a miss for me.  The pig was dried out.  Luckily the next dish, Dim Sum Duck, which was his version of deconstructed Cantonese soup dumpling, was brilliant.  I thought to myself all is well with this dinner.  I was a bit worry it was all going downhill after the pig.  Disaster averted!  Then came the super tender Shabu Shabu Wagyu dish.  The beef literally melted on my tongue!  Hands down the best dish of the night for me.  Then we had a green tea palate cleanser before the last dish which was a Calpico flavored dragon!  I love my Calpico.  I always drink it whenever I'm in Asia.  This was a perfect ending to a wonderful dinner.

This restaurant has to be on any foodie's list.  I know where I'm eating when I return to Berlin.  In the mean time, I'll just have to make due with his dessert dish at In Situ restaurant here in San Francisco.    

Hottest Fashion Brand right now!

Well, if you have been loosely following fashion news, you probably know that Gucci, Valentino, and Saint Laurent Paris are the "in" brands right now.  If you follow fashion closely, you would know that Hedi Slimane had left SLP in the spring which makes this FW2016 collection his last one.  And let's not forget the latest news at Valentino is that Maria Grazia Chiuri jumped ship to House of Dior and left Pierpaolo Piccioli at its helm as sole creative director.  Given the messiness of "divorces", the only steady ship within this trio is Alessandro Michele who took helm of Gucci just last year!  Whew, are your heads spinning yet?!        

This new Gucci is far from Frida Giannini's.  I felt she played safe and pretty much just rehashed what Tom Ford did.  But then again, it's hard to follow Tom Ford... after all, he did revived a pretty much dead brand that was heading the way of Pierre Cardin.  However, it's hard to recall such a quick resurgence of a brand within such short gap between its last revival.  Much credit to Alessandro that he was able to execute his vision flawlessly.  Regardless if you like the new Gucci look or not, at least it's not a rehash of Tom Ford's vision.

I'm not a big fan of some of his super exaggerated retro pieces but here are the ones I like:

Cotton Polo with Snake embroidery; I like the embroidery around the collar.

Leather jacket with embroideries; I love this blue.

Viscose jersey sweatshirt with web; I don't wear that much sweatshirts but I thought putting webbing on a sweatshirt is interesting.  

Silk bomber jacket with embroideries; I love the new trend of souvenir jackets so bring on embroideries!  

A trash can you definitely don't want to throw trash in!

I really can't imagine anyone throwing trash into this Hermes Equilibre d'Hermes wastebasket.  I mean after all, I would not want to get that exceedingly expensive wastebasket dirty would I?!  And where's my lotto tickets again?!  LOL.  Joking aside, I do get that the leather is all hand dyed and everything is hand stitched on this beautifully designed trashcan.  I'm pretty sure that the canning on the basket as well as the leather strapping near the bottom is all hand done as well.  Be forewarned though, this will probably be the most expensive trash can (cost is equivalent of a Birkin bag) you have ever purchased in your life unless you have trash cans made of gold!!!        

A perfect Christmas gift for that Fashionista!

Just came across an article on Lanvin's wooden chess set based on illustrations by Alber Elbaz.  As everyone knows, he was ousted as head designer from Lanvin recently.  However, his spirit at Lanvin lives on with this whimsical chess set.  I can totally see this set displayed on a coffee table or on a desk of a fashionista.  Heck, I'm very very tempted to buy one myself!  Get yours at Net-a-Porter!

Perfection at a Japanese restaurant

If you are looking for French and Japanese fusion food, you go to Narisawa.  If you are looking for pure unabashed traditional Japanese food, you go to RyuGin in Tokyo.  Chef Seiji Yamamoto makes his magic in this small restaurant and what you get is fresh traditional Japanese ingredients that transform into pearls of delectable yums.  This restaurant ranks #2 in Japan and #31 in the world according to S. Pellegrino's the World's 50 best restaurants.  But honestly all the restaurants ranked in the top 100 are pretty much on the same level.  I can't say Le Bernardin (#24) is better than French Laundry (#85) by a mile.  If anything, I prefer French Laundry to Le Bernardin.  It's a personal taste.  One thing is for sure though, I never had a better pure Japanese meal than at RyuGin.  What he created for me was just eatable Japanese art.  If you get a chance to go to Tokyo, do not hesitate and make a reservation there.  Your stomach will thank you!  BTW, if you love uni, this is the place to get fresh uni.  It's so fresh and tasty here that any other uni you have anywhere else in the world will not be able to come close.

Hottest trend right now in men's fashion

One of the hottest trend right now in men's fashion is Souvenir Jackets and I'm sure that trend will last for few years so one should definitely get one if you don't have such a jacket in your wardrobe.

You may ask what is a souvenir jacket?  Well, souvenir jacket, also known as Sukajan jacket/ Yokosuka embroidered jackets/ 橫須賀ジャンパー, was popularized by American soldiers.  After World War II, American GIs who stationed in Japan wanted to commemorate their stay in Japan before heading home.  So what do they do?  They commission silk satin jackets with motifs they associate with Asian culture: tigers, dragons, and eagles, etc.

There are many places you can get vintage Sukajan jackets such as Ebay, Craigslist, etc.  Brands like Gucci, Valentino, Saint Laurent Paris also have their own versions...   Here are some of my favs from this past and coming season:

This one from Gucci is reversible so when souvenir jackets are no longer in, you can just wear the jacket inside out!  Price of one for two.  My kind of jacket!  SS16

This one is from Valentino from FW16.  A different take than most souvenir jacket motifs!

And if red is your color of choice, Louis Vuitton has one just for you! Gorgeous crane embroidery in the back.  SS16