Vignettes of the World
I had just about a little more than a half day in Osaka and so I decided to visit Shinsekai. Time stopped at Shinsekai after the reconstruction period post WWII. Meaning “New World,” Shinsekai was once a beacon of hope for Osaka. The area developed …
Visitors of Nara must not miss the Nakatanidou mochi as it is certainly a precious intangible heritage of Nara. In my Japanese food entry, the Nakatanidou mochi is the only food that I thought was an absolute must-try in this Japan trip. I passed by …
The Toadai-ji Temple is a significant temple within the grounds of the Nara Park. I simply took a look of its outside, and did not bother to queue a long line to see the big Buddha statue inside. Suffice to say, the imposing Nandaimon Gate was itself a sight to behold.
Meaning the “Great Eastern Temple,” Todai-ji Temple prides itself in the enormous Buddha statue that graces its main hall, the Daibutsuden. The current Daibutsuden was once the record holder for being the world’s largest wooden building. It was a reconstruction in 1692, and it is already a third smaller than the very original Daibutsuden.
The original temple of Todai-ji Temple was constructed in 752 A.D. Emperor Shomu commissioned the construction of this temple to rein in a tumultuous time of epidemic and political chaos. It began as the head temple for all the provincial Buddhist temples of Japan. Well, remember that Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Kyoto to stay away from the Nara Buddhists that became too powerful? The Todai-ji Temple Buddhists were the ones from whom Emperor Kanmu sought to run away.
The bronze Buddha statue of Todai-ji Temple is 15 meters tall in a seated posture. It represents Vairocana, a universal Buddha in the Mahayana Buddhism tradition.
On the way to the Todai-ji Temple I went through the enormous and imposing Nandaimon Gate, also a wooden structure. On the sides of the Nandaimon Gate inside stand two large Nio Guardian Kings. The fierce looking guarding gods are designated national treasures, like the Nandaimon Gate itself.
By the day that I visited Nara, I was simply exhausted from all the touring and the photography that engaged a whole lot of energy and attention for all of the previous week. I figured that I really only wanted to see the deer in Nara. Therefore I skipped the temple altogether.
I needed lunch so I headed out on a bus and returned to the city.
After lunch, I simply strolled around in the old business district (Naramachi). I found Myriam Café.
The quaint and cosy Myriam Café was the highlight of my stay in Nara. It has a cute appearance, but passersby can easily miss it because it is also humble.
It felt as if I entered into a world of its own at Myriam Café. A baby grand piano sits in the corner. The low ceiling hung just a couple feet above me, creating a sense of intimacy as enclosed by the wooden furnishing of the café.
There were lone customers like me that kept things to themselves, and there were loquacious chatters exchanging views on children and gossip. The two ladies working at the counter served their food. I ordered their signature chocolate cake with coffee. I was clearly a foreigner, but they did not have the spare time to chat.
The chocolate cake and curry are the two signature items at Myriam Café. I ordered a chocolate cake during lunch hour and the lady had to serve up one of the last pieces they had. The chocolate cake was heavenly dense and rich in flavor.
I sat there for about an hour or two, admiring the non-Japanese lady there speaking fluent Japanese to her customers. I was in the company of strangers, an unlikely solitude within a warm, humanly atmosphere.
It came time for dinner soon. I checked back in at the Guesthouse Tamura, rested a bit and had my last dinner in Japan.
Japanguide.com on Todaiji Temple.
I had concluded my journey in Kyoto after five full days touring numerous temples for Momiji. It came time for Nara, and I headed out on the slow Nara train in the morning. I arrived into a Nara that was slightly overcast and notably colder …
In this journey I spent five full days in Kyoto and visited countless breathtaking sites for momiji foliage viewing. I found all of the sites that I visited to be worthwhile. Based on this experience, I have come up with the following suggested five-day itinerary …
I was just strolling in Sai Ying Pun and stumbled upon a hidden gem amidst its crisscrossing uphill grids. No. 9 and No. 10 Yu Lok Lane are classified as the shophouse type of tenement houses. A lot of the traditional Hong Kong tenements are stores with residential quarters in the back or upstairs. Their social and historic values are expressed in the roles that they have played in the lives of people with humble roots.
Yu Lok Lane is a small street running the east-west direction between Centre Street and High Street. The tenements that are preserved are built along this very small alleyway, on a raised terrace supported by retaining walls.
No. 9 and 10 of Yu Lok Lane in Sai Ying Pun consist of two tenement houses abutting each other. The layout of the buildings is typical of the tenement houses of the same era — during the early 20th century.
In this area of Hong Kong Island, Sai Ying Pun developed as a Chinese community on the edge of the City of Victoria after 1850. There were rows of seaside houses in this area. What used to be a mountainous terrain was turned into habitable neighborhoods. And in Yu Lok Lane, the houses that stood were pretty much the same as the two tenement houses that were preserved.
Circa the 1870s, the owner of the Yu Lok Lane tenement rented out the property to relatively poor working-class tenants, such as coolies and blacksmiths. They likely worked at the freight pier nearby in Sai Ying Pun. The records of the Basel Mission (which established the Kau Yan Church nearby on High Street), show that most residents were of Hakka origin.
In around 1918, records show that No. 1-12 Yu Lok Lane had completed a redevelopment with 34 tenement houses built. It is likely that No. 9 and 10 tenement houses belonged to this era of redevelopment.
During World War II, this area of Sai Ying Pun was designated “Sea Water District” by the Japanese. Severe bombing has resulted in the destruction of all other tenement buildings, save for No. 9 and 10, which remained relatively intact. In 1949, No. 11 underwent restoration.
Due to redevelopment, all other such tenement houses have been pulled down. No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane remained the only witness to the lives that once lived here.
What caught my eye at Yu Lok Lane is the beautiful timber French doors and windows. At first glance, it was a surprise to me that these were Chinese tenement buildings. It evoked western and colonial vibes due to its gabled roof and extended vertial columns.
According to the Antiquities Advisory Board’s historic building appraisal, the two houses “have narrow frontages and are paired with a shared staircase. The front façades are rendered and painted and originally probably had projecting open balconies at first floor level, but these have now been enclosed with folding wooden casement windows. Original wooden doors and windows still exist to the ground floor.”
The original tiled floor of the tenement is largely preserved.
A Tour of the Tenement at Yu Lok Lane takes just about 15 minutes and it’s worth it to read the captions in some detail. The petite exhibition discusses the social aspect of the tenements.
In the old days, there were wide space outside the tenement houses. The residents would congregate in this area (the lane) to relax and socialize. This has enabled the lane to become a place of community.
No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane are Grade 3 Historic Building.
Descriptions on site at Yu Lok Lane.
Antiques Advisory Board, Historic Building Appraisal, No. 9 and 10 Yu Lok Lane, Number 1078.
The wetlands of Long Valley in Sheung Shui have finally opened to the public as a site of ecological tourism since November 2024. Wedged between the Sheung Yue River and Shek Sheung River in Sheung Shui, Long Valley had long been the freshwater marsh that …
The Grand Palace was the only sightseeing that I did in this trip in Bangkok. Its beautiful Thai architecture is a lavish expression of the aura of the Thai kingdom. The Buddhist faith is front and center in the Grand Palace, as it has always …
Thailand is known for its food. Not just Thai cuisine, but any type of cuisine to which its chefs dedicate themselves. Since we were staying at the Grand Hyatt, we had quite a few meals at the restaurants in the hotel. Top that up with some local food selection at the malls, and there went our four-day foodie excursion in savoring Thailand’s best cuisine.
In my last entry, I discussed the fine dining experience at the restaurant Baan Phraya, run by up-and-coming star chef Pom Phatchara. That would be the most memorable ambrosia in my first visit to Bangkok.
In this following list, the restaurant recommendations are in random order and it is not a ranking.
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Gaston | Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok – LL Floor, 494 Rajdamri Road Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | French bistro in Grand Hyatt Erawan. We enjoyed the pork chops the most. Reservation recommended. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Salvia | Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok — Mezzanine Level, 494 Rajdamri Road Khwaeng, Lumphini, Bangkok 10330 | Italian cuisine in Grand Hyatt Erawan. We enjoyed the truffle handmade pasta the most. Reservation recommended. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Thongsmith Siamese Boat Noodles | 1031 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | Boat noodles is a common and popular street food in Thailand. Thongsmith Siamese Boat Noodles serve it at a clean, hip location with a variety of flavors. You can share three bowls in a party of 2. | Must-try |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Baan Phraya | Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Ave Bang Rak, Mandarin Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500 | Fine dining Thai cuisine that is on par with Michelin grade restaurants (not yet rated). Chef Pom Phatchara introduces contemporary savviness in very traditional Thai food. Must make reservation. | Highly Recommended |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Erawan Tea Room | Erawan Bangkok, Level 2, 494 Rajdamri Road, Pathum Wan, Lumpini, Bangkok 10330 | Thai food with a contemporary flair in a relaxed and chic ambience. Also serves Thai afternoon tea. | Yes |
| Coffee Shop | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Golden Coffee at the Golden Place (Tha Chang Pier Branch) | 196 198 Maha Rat Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200 | A nice café and rest stop after touring at the Grand Palace. The coffee has a beginning as a socially responsible company that buys coffee from farmers in the northern Thai highlands that switched from growing opium to growing coffee due to King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s initiative. It’s a good story, and the coffee really does live up to it too. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Coffee Beans by Dao (Paragon) | GF, 06 Rama I Rd, Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330 | A chain franchise with Thai food as its mainstay but significantly internationalized to appeal to the preference of younger diners. It serves durian cake and that was quite special. | Yes |
| Restaurant | Location | Comment | Recommendation |
| Copper Buffet (Gaysorn) | Gaysorn Amarin, Unit 3F-s06, 3F-s07 502, Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand | A new kid on the block — Copper Buffet is a very popular chain buffet that opened recently. It requires long queues. People are so serious that they have a strategy for maximizing the best food that it offers. Reservation is required. | Lukewarm Recommendation |
Thailand is known for its food. Not just Thai cuisine, but any type of cuisine to which its chefs dedicate themselves. Chef Pom Phatchara has been the rising star in Bangkok’s dining scene. Although she hasn’t yet earned the Michelin Star, she has run such …