Saigon Vespa Tours, Ho Chi Minh City…enjoy the thrill of living life like the Saigonese

Getting on a scooter in one of the busiest cities in the world with a stranger seemed like a sensible idea. Walking is not popular in Ho Chi Minh City – a city with 7.43 million motorbikes – so being on one is the ideal way to see the buzzing centre of Ho Chi Minh City.

My heart was in my mouth as scooters, taxis, buses and bikes came at me from every angle. Though it sounds scary, the fact is that negotiating Ho Chi Minh City’s night traffic on the back of a vintage Vespa turned out to be exhilarating. Strangely, the breeze on my face; the exotic smells of spices; the people watching; the bustling night markets and the neon lights of the bars and massage parlours, all began to have a hypnotic effect. In accordance to our request, the first pit stop was at Lesbian Sisters bahn mi. They had bought the bahn mi and that saved us waiting time. We devoured them within 20 minutes on the roadside. Before we can digest all this, we were off to a trendy skybar – Glow. After a quick drink and soaking in the view, we were drive to a restaurant of our choice.

While you don’t ride around in luxury, that was never part of the deal, the tour gives you a chance to experience life as a local, being exposed to the thick smog emitted from the scooters. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Conditorei Schober Tea Room, Zurich…you can’t miss this if you are looking for true Swiss delights.

This place is the spot you can’t miss if you are looking for true Swiss delights. A quaint and very Zurich patisserie/cafe in the middle of old town, this mid-19th century café is beautifully decorated with Baroque interiors and completely unique levels.

This is THE place to go for hot chocolate in Switzerland. The super rich cup of hot chocolate, a Schober classic, is made with real slabs of chocolate, and is incredibly tasty. The flavour doesn’t just disappear after you swallow, but lingers.

They take their chocolate very seriously here. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Pappas Crabcakes, Washington DC…Well, this was a letdown

Oprah Winfrey named Pappas Crabcakes as one of her #FavoriteThings2015.

Pappas built its reputation on chunky with lump crab, filler-light, and only lightly spiced with crab seasoning, allowing for the full expression of crabby flavor. I ordered the snack plate – 2 fried blue crab balls, old bay seasoning French fries, coleslaw, tomato, lemon, choice of sauce. Sadly the jumbo lumps here at the MGM National Harbor tasted as if they’d spent more time in a freezer than in the Chesapeake Bay.

Obviously Oprah didn’t eat at the Pappas outpost here. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

 

The Book of Mormon, London…vulgar, offensive but extremely lovable musical

‘South Park’ creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Robert ‘Avenue Q’ Lopez are the folks behind this Broadway-munching musical, so brace yourself for a shock.

For me this winner of 9 Tony Awards including Best Musical is the best West End musical in recent times. It’s good-natured poking of fun at all things sacred. Very funny, breathing three-dimensional, all-singing, all-dancing life into the absurdities of literal Mormon dogma without ever being particularly mean. A series of great-to-sublime songs; the lyrics are deliciously witty, and the superb score is packed with catchy melodies.

Be warned: “Mormon” is irreverent, racist, raunchy and profane, and insults just about everyone. You may be ashamed of how much you enjoyed it, but that’s forgivable.

I can give an “Amen” to that. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

IMAX Virtual Reality Centre, Bangkok…the future of arcade games is here

I’m speeding across rocky plains in my Batmobile and then I was battling sinister robots out to wipe out civilisation. Not bad, for a Sunday.

Bangkok’s first full-scale virtual reality arcade, IMEX VR Centre, is an interactive game space filled with 6 VR experiences. It offers customers a chance to battle aliens or robots or simply become Batman, Aquaman or Superman in a 360 degrees experience.

These experiences are pushing against the edges of the technology. It’s hard to let yourself go completely into these other-worlds, given the chunky VR rig strapped to your face and the relatively low resolution and occasionally out-of-focus graphics. The overall feel is simultaneously clunky and awe-inspiring like experiencing a galactic-scale vision and a primitive video game.

The ambition is admirable. The concept is very impressive indeed. All they need now is the games. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

Seo Rae Heon, Seoul…a hot pot spot

It is plonked  in the very busy Lotte Department Store if you fancy something spine tingling spicy.

I opted for the octopus and bulgogi hot pot – which were meant to be fused together in a big steel bowl meant to serve two or three medium-hungry people – dropped in the veggies on the tabletop induction burner and watch the steam rise. Soon, I stirred the pot and figured it had all been cooking long enough, so I spooned the spine tingling tangy/spicy soup on a bowl of rice which made it a lot more compelling. The bulgogi was a decent quality of meat but I’d rather have it with a slightly sticky marinade adding a pleasant sweetness than soaked and overpowered in this soup.

Though the flavour was good, Seo Rae Heon will not be my first choice.. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Ming Garden, Penang…the price for a meal can be more than a mortgage payment (or two)

Ming Garden is not just expensive; it’s outrageously overpriced, serving Chinese food to diners with deep pockets. But sometimes, you just want to splurge (and other times, you’re on an unlimited expense account or your rich relative is treating!)

The food presentations are stunning, but of course, for that kind of money, they should be. However, the quality and taste of the food lacks wow-factor is very average for its elevated price.

Although eye-wateringly expensive, you get the least bang-for-buck given the fairly unimaginative repertoire for which mediocre would be a flattering description. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

3 Geori Butchers Blue, Seoul…meat mecca

Sleek without being imposing, this Korean barbecue restaurant is the real deal. When a Korean barbecue place wants to set itself apart from all the other Korean barbecue places, it has essentially three variables to play with: meat, heat and sides

The meat is luscious black iberico pork from Spain. The pork belly – a cut with the perfect balance of fat and protein is the true star. The other meat that really steals the spotlight is Korean beef sirloin – premium Korean beef sirloin that has nice marbling with natural flavor. They don’t try to be overly clever, or self-consciously modern, rather concentrate on getting the fundamentals right.

Oh, for a table-top barbeque place, 3 Geori Butchers Blue is not smoky at all. This way, your happy dining memories can live on in your social media, and not on your clothes.

If you’ve got that BBQ craving, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City…feast upon mouthfuls of incredible flavours

Banh Mi Huynh Hao is better known as Lesbian Sisters Banh Mi. The reason being that the store was opened by a lesbian couple and was originally staffed by an all-lesbian workforce.

Here, the banh mi (which translates simply as “bread” in Vietnamese) the once humble pork and pickled vegetable sandwich now elevated to heights of gastronomic chic. Banh Mi Huynh Hao is a street food stall that serves a baguette stuffed with a plethora of coldcuts, pate, spicy mayo, and fresh vegies. It is freshly made in front of your eyes and made to order. It is made to excite. The freshly baked baguettes which are kept warm in a charcoal-fuelled oven tend to be particularly airy and crumbly. The flavour was slightly sweet and extremely moreish.

This surely is Ho Chi Minh City’s finest Vietnamese cuisine. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…

 

Divana Nurture Spa, Bangkok…should be on every spa-lover’s bucket list

The bewildering array of choices for spa aficionados in Bangkok can be overwhelming Whether you’ve got tired, city-beaten skin that needs reviving, stressed-out muscles that need soothing, or you’re simply in search of somewhere lush for a little ‘me time’, Divana Nurture Spa can cater to your every demand.

Housed in an old traditional Thai house with a beautiful garden Divana Nurture Spa is a monochrome cocoon of sheer relaxation. Calm, warm and with wonderfully welcoming staff, Divana offers a huge range of beautifying treatments and specialist therapies. The stress-beating massage is a heavenly indulgence. You’ll definitely shake off some of that inner-city stress. Guaranteed rejuvenation.

Phone off, fluffy robe on. Prepare for a proper pampering. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…