Fancy a Dessert? Five Generations in Hong Kong Serves Them Real Fancy

We were itching for real desserts (I wanted cake) and it was a great time to spoil ourselves (we were almost at the end of our Hong Kong trip with kids, and just survived Disneyland). Hubby has mentioned finding Five Generations, a dessert place just across our favorite food-on-a-stick place (Wah Kee), and since we had our late dinner at Summit Delicious (same area), it was a no-brainer that we'd end up there.

Those going there with kids might be a little turned off by the smokers hanging outside at night. It's really a small place and if you ask them, they would even tell you they don't have any English name :) It's a good thing this sign is pasted on its window:


and proof of the win can be found here, giving Five Generations its reputation for serving the best desserts in Hong Kong


looks more like a bar than a dessert cafe from outside


it's really cramped inside, it can maybe fit a maximum of only 30 diners

because we were a big group, we decided to order different things (forgot the names of the desserts though)

we don't recommend whatever this is, both hubs and my SIL (who ordered it) didn't like it


this, on the other hand, was as gratifying as how it looked


snow storms are flavored and shaved ice best eaten with the stuff surrounding it


both chocolate (previous) and coffee (above) snow storm desserts are served with nata de coco, mini marshmallows, chocolate-flavored crisped rice and chocolate chips


we were told that this chocolate pudding was what won them the BEST DESSERT (so yeah, communicating in English may be a challenge); this is much like a chocolate souffle that collapses into a hot, gooey, chocolatey madness, best eaten with its other components (there's some light syrup with the strawberry, plus the choice of ice cream flavor) for optimum decadence

All in all, we did feel spoiled with the experience. The snow storms average HKD38 and I believe the chocolate pudding cost HKD45. And although I think there are a lot of restaurants in Manila that can match or beat them, we'd still go back to try the other things they have on the menu... like the award-winning egg pudding.

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Open Sunday-Thursday, 2 p.m.-1 a.m.;
Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m.-2 a.m.
五代同堂 "Five Generations" 25-31 Carnarvon Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, tel. +852 2723 3383

It's easier to find the cafe if you look for the corner where Prat Avenue(Wah Kee Snacks) meets Hart Avenue (Five Generations), just off Carnarvon/Hanoi Road. If you check Google Maps (satellite pics), however, you'd see a boutique right where the cafe should be, so better believe me instead for we were there!

And our little girls were happy!





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If you're not prepared to spend so much on desserts but still want something nicer than what a Hong Kong bakery can offer, just head down Hart Avenue and you'll see another dessert place to your left.

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Hotels/hostels nearby include (1-5 minutes away):
Hotel Benito (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Guangdong Hotel Hong Kong (Prat Avenue)
Park Hotel (Chatham Road, Hong Kong)
Tai San Guest House (Nathan Road, Hong Kong)
Lee Garden Guest House (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Star Guest House (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Butterfly on Prat
Kimberley Hotel (Kimberley Road, Hong Kong)

Raising a Healthy Generation workshop with Bella and Jake Tan

as received in my e-mail

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Dear Parents,


We'd like to tell you about a workshop coming this October that we feel would be useful and very relevant in having a deeper understanding of your child's health and development. Waldorf early childhood education pioneers, Bella and Jake Tan will facilitate a one-and-a-half day workshop, Raising a Healthy Generation: Adult Health begins in Childhood, that addresses the issues around childhood illnesses, and how the life choices that are made for children impact adult health.


The workshop will be held Oct 20-21 and the schedule is as follows:


Day One, October 20
9:00 Lecture: Childhood & Development Phases
10:30 Break
11:00 Lecture: The Incarnation Process
12:00 Lunch
2:00 Lecture: Reforming the Inherited Body (Fevering, Childhood Illnesses)
3:30 Break

4:00 Lecture: Nutrition & Health (Weaning Process, Food, Sleep, Forming Good Habits)
5:00 End of Day One

Day Two, October 21
9:00 Lecture: Dreamy Consciousness of the Child (Play & Toys, Imagination & Phantasy)
10:30 Break
11:00 Role of the Adult in Nurturing the Child
12:00 End


Bella continues to be a mentor and consultant for ST MICHAEL PLAYHOUSE. Jake, an anthroposophic doctor, has just published his second book, Healing Ourselves from Medicine: How Anthroposophy can Save your Life.

The workshop, produced by the Institute for Steiner's Ideas in Practice (ISIP) Philippines, will be held in the lush and peaceful Prado Farms in Lubao, Pampanga. This workshop is one of the many events happening this October, in celebration of Rudolf Steiner's 150th birth anniversary. More details about other events may be found here.

Please see more information below. For inquiries, kindly contact ISIP Center at 899 4675, or text 0947 448 5119. Thank you!

Wah Kee Snacks / Restaurant - Hong Kong

Just off Carnarvon Road in Kowloon, at the corner of Prat Avenue is this wonderful restaurant (although I didn't notice an area where people can dine in... then again, maybe because I was distracted by the food) called Wah Kee Restaurant (if you Google it, it used to be Wah Kee Snacks).

The restaurant sells a lot of stuff that's barbecued or fried. Things like pig kidneys and ox tripe skewered in barbecue sticks. But we were enslaved by this already:


at HKD9/stick, you get yummy sausages wrapped in wonderful bacon... and the accompanying (peanut) sauce is great with rice too!


the other thing hubs is holding is super tender, super peppery beef on sticks

Hotels/hostels nearby include (1-5 minutes away):
Hotel Benito (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Fountain House Guest House (James Lee Mansion, Carnarvon Road, Hong Kong)
Guangdong Hotel Hong Kong (Prat Avenue)
Park Hotel (Chatham Road, Hong Kong)
Chungking Mansions (Nathan Road)
Majestic Guest House (Haiphong Mansions, Hai Phong Road, Hong Kong)
Tai San Guest House (Nathan Road, Hong Kong)
Lee Garden Guest House (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Star Guest House (Cameron Road, Hong Kong)
Sealand Guest House (Majestic House, Nathan Road, Hong Kong)
Butterfly on Prat
Kimberley Hotel (Kimberley Road, Hong Kong)

Hong Kong Disneyland

Going to Hong Kong Disneyland is easy because you can employ the services of MTR, bus, taxis and ferry (coming soon!). Still, the easiest way to get there is via the MTR Disneyland Resort Line.



It's about five minutes walk from the Disney train to the main gate (where you can purchase tickets, if you haven't already).




near the ticket counters

Better to study the map first and check the time of the shows/ parades so you can plan your day. A lot of Disney characters will be available for photo opps at different parts of the park.


photo opps with Tinkerbell was happening just outside Mickey's Philharmagic show at the same time that the Flights of Fantasy Parade was going on along Main Street





Lines at the Philharmagic show and It's A Small World (two must-see attractions) are manageable. Mickey's Philharmagic Show is a must-see because your little ones will get a feel of riding a roller coaster (or a flying carpet) without the danger, and you will get to relive all the magical moments of the Disney movies you love/grew with.

It's A Small World is nice because of all the dolls/puppets you'll see while on a boat (good for 8-12 people).





Lines at the Pooh ride and the Disney train tend to be really long, as well as the Space Mountain ride.

Another nice show to catch is Festival of the Lion King at Tomorrowland.





You can sneak in some snacks (they sequestered my SIL's McDonalds burger but not the breads they had in another bag nor the biscuits/crackers we had) and just avail of Disneyland's 3-in-1 Meal Offering (regular price: HKD150; special coupon price: HKD125) that entitles you to:
1 Lunch^ ( enjoy before 4:00pm on your visit date)
1 Dinner^ (enjoy after 5:30pm until fireworks start on your visit date)
1 Drink or Popcorn
* Lunch & Dinner Coupons do not include drinks
** meals can only be gotten from specific restaurants (Starliner Diner, Comet Cafe, Clopins Festival of Foods)
*** the popcorn was really good!

lunch meals we got from the 3-in-1 meal offering

chicken dish


peking duck dish


pork ham dish

lunch meals our relatives ordered from Royal Banquet Hall, costs HKD95 (came with mushroom soup)




Starliner Diner chicken and fries meal

chicken pieces (2 per meal) were big so this lot was enough to snack on by our big group

Told you, portions were big... but I didn't hear any "delicious!" comments from our table... and I really didn't like what I ate (the pork ham dish). It wasn't bad, just also not good either. Bland and oily, mostly. The fried chicken was okay.

If you're not getting the 3-in-1 Meal Offering, prepare to shell out between HKD60-100 per meal at any of the restaurants. Water cost HKD20 while softdrinks cost HKD22.

I would suggest to get a heavy breakfast/brunch before going to Disneyland and to just snack there all day, then have a delicious dinner somewhere else after.

There is a water fountain/refilling station just outside Royal Banquet Hall (Fantasyland) and Tahitian Terrace (Adventureland) and maybe others more in places near rest rooms so feel free to just refill your water bottles.

The food is somewhere between so-so and good but the servings are huge. I would also recommend not to order separate meals for little ones unless necessary since they are also not likely to eat that much from all the excitement.

Rental of strollers for a day costs HKD60 with a HKD100 bond for stroller (and if thunderstorms were predicted for the day, another HKD100 deposit for the stroller rain coat). Just proceed to City Hall to rent either wheelchair or stroller. And yes, the rain protector will come in handy when it rains because it will really keep your child dry inside the stroller.

Their strollers can accommodate babies that can already sit up to toddlers up to 15 kgs. in weight.

Strollers will also come in handy when you're saving a space along Main Street for the Flights of Fantasy Parade because you can park it sideways and have your kiddos sit at the curb. The strollers will protect your kids from other people who may end up pushing for a better look at the Disney characters.



The finale of the experience is the fireworks show happening after Tinkerbell scatters magic dust on Sleeping Beauty's castle. Make sure to find a good spot already around 8 PM. Tinkerbell scatters the magic dust at 8:30 PM and the fireworks show start at 9:00 PM.







Lastly, Disneyland seemed like a hotter place (during the day) than Ocean Park (maybe because it's flatter and had less trees) but it's also a lot smaller (think Enchanted Kingdom size) so walking around isn't that hard (compared to Ocean Park).

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For an idea of other things you might buy at Disneyland:
HKD45 for Disney raincoat (adult size; we bought two when it rained)
HKD20 for cotton candy on a glow stick
HKD110 for kiddie caps like this.
HKD95 for a Mickey and Minnie key ring set (his and hers).
HKD110 (or was it 210) for a Princess doll set with detachable parts

And around HKD320 for this Buzz and Woody action figures set (a LOT cheaper compared to buying the same here in the Philippines).



Check out Hong Kong Disneyland's website:
http://park.hongkongdisneyland.com

~ Additional note:
Strollers may be rented and meal coupons may be bought at the City Hall building, in Main Street, to the left of the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad.

Please note that we travelled as a caravan of 8 adults, 3 preschoolers and 1 infant and were in Hong Kong between August 22-27, 2011, the height of summer (and summer sale) there.

Cardio Boys - A Fresh Form of Entertainment

My husband once showed me this video of the Cardio Boys dancing in one of the LRT2 trains:



Forget giving away funny t shirts in corporate parties or stressing over loot bags in birthday parties, hire the Cardio Boys instead for a fun, fresh form of entertainment. I am sure kids and adults alike will appreciate what the Cardio Boys can do.

"Happy is for Every Body"
Dance, Workout, Comedy, Performances, Skits, Musicals, Entertainment, Shows, Gigs, Aerobics, Love, Joy
Cardio Boys
Email cardioboys@gmail.com
Phone (63)915.542.7767
Website http://www.thecardioboys.com

For birthday parties, their rates start at P15k for 3-4 performances. They are currently on vacation now, though, until November but they're the perfect entertainment choice for Christmas parties and reunions as well as other corporate events.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

If you've never been to a wax museum, then Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong is the perfect, more readily attainable first experience for you. And though I do not know around a third of the figures there (Chinese/Hong Kong/India celebrities), it was still just great fun to pose with them and let loose.

Madame Tussauds is located inside the Peak Tower and operates from 9:45am – 10pm daily (last admission: 9:45pm). Some of the more famous figures you can pose with there include:









I don't have time to crop pictures of our crazy poses (plus, I don't want to spoil the fun for you) but we really had a great time at Madame Tussauds. I'm not sure if it helped that we were there between 7 pm - 9 pm.

Of course, you have to wait your turn with some of the figures but there are plenty of them to amuse you while you're waiting. We also sampled the SCREAM attraction, a horror chamber, where groups of 8 people walk through an 'asylum.'

For those going in with kids (like we did), you may have to prepare the easy-to-scare ones. We told our niece that the figures were made from candle (because wax isn't something she totally gets) and painted/dressed to look like people. However, even Lady Gaga could not convince her to come near.

And if a child says he/she is scared, respect the feeling and don't go pushing/forcing them to like/pose with the figures. It might just further traumatize them and they wouldn't trust the world to respect their feelings if their own parents/significant others did not listen to what they were saying. Maybe you can have them photograph you instead :)



Regular tickets:
Adult HK$160
Child (aged between 3 - 11) HK$90
Senior (aged 65 or above) HK$90

2-in-1 Combo Package (Round Trip Peak Tram and Entrance):
Adult HK$185
Child (aged between 3 - 11) HK$95
Senior (aged 65 or above) HK$95

3-in-1 Combo Package (Admission + Peak Tram + Sky Terrace):
Adult HK$210
Child (aged between 3 - 11) HK$105
Senior (aged 65 or above) HK$105

Going to and off the Peak - Hong Kong

The Peak in Hong Kong is home to Hong Kong's wealthiest and offers great viewing, shopping and dining possibilities to tourists.

Unless you plan on driving or walking, there are two easy and affordable ways to go to the Peak. The first is through the really popular Peak Tram, the first cable funicular in Asia.

From Central Bus Terminus (near Star Ferry), board Bus No. 15C to go to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus. Pay only HKD4.20.



Be prepared for really long lines though. Those purchasing combo tickets (round-trip Peak Tram fares and tickets to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and Sky Terrace) may enjoy a shorter queue but you would still end up with all the others waiting for the tram.

Our group got there at past 6 AM and it took us an hour at least before we got to ride a tram. Unfortunately, we also had to endure the heat and some pushing from the other visitors. There was no special lane for those with kids but a group of travelling senior citizens were given special treatment and were not required to fall in line. Unfortunately again, in all the rush to board the tram, one of them yanked on my niece's arm which scared my niece enough to cry, which upset my SIL and BIL enough to shout at them, "hey, there are kids here!"

Both my husband and another BIL had to secure our kids from the others who were pushing to go in, so we weren't really in the mood to enjoy the tram ride up. Plus, since it was dark already, we only got to appreciate the city lights when we were already really way up high to see them.

After our fun time at Madame Tussauds and upon seeing the long line at the tram station to go down, we decided to just board the bus to Central.

Bus No. 15 gets you all the way from Central (pier 5) to the Peak and back again for HKD9.80. However, it is not a bus ride for the faint of stomach. One of those riding the bus with us had to get off to barf, which made us all feel thankful we hadn't eaten anything yet. Bus drivers in Hong Kong know their roads and tackles these at breakneck speeds, even if said roads are going downhill and zigzagged.

The Peak tram operates from 7:00 AM to 12:00 MN while most of the attractions in the Peak Tower open at 10:00 AM.

Last trip for Bus. No. 15 from the Peak is at 1:00 AM.

Please note that we travelled as a caravan of 8 adults, 3 preschoolers and 1 infant and were in Hong Kong between August 22-27, 2011, the height of summer (and summer sale) there.

Hong Kong Science Museum

I first fell in love with Hong Kong Science Museum six years ago, when I spent the better part of a day just exploring its many exhibits and marvelling at the expense that went into those to make Science fun for all. So, I vowed to return with my son.

We chose to go on a Wednesday because the museum lets everyone in for free on those days. I forgot, however, that it's summer season for the kids from Hong Kong and visitors from China so the museum was packed.

The down side of going on a Wednesday is that you cannot go around the exhibit halls leisurely since you'd have to fall in line for some attractions. But attractions, they still were.






kids pushing the mist out of this contraption


one area was all about planes/flight


a big play area was allocated for younger kids, with cushions serving as big, soft building blocks


a Lufengusaurus, my son's first look at a real dinosaur skeleton setup


replica of a T-Rex's skull


the House of Mirrors at the ground floor was very interesting


a touch screen game that teaches where bone systems go


pull the rope and see how long our small intestines are


bird's eye view indeed!

We did not get to explore all we want because of the crowd but I still highly recommend the museum for school-age kids because it can really make learning more fun. The usual ticket price is HKD25.

You would also be met by a hand sanitizer-dispensing staff for some exhibits or see signs like this:



Hong Kong Science Museum
Tel : 2732 3232
Fax : 2311 2248
Email : enquiries@hk.science.museum
Address : 2 Science Museum Road, Tsimshatsui East, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Crumbs Frozen Yogurt Station - Hong Kong

As we were exploring around Nathan Road, looking for a place to have dinner in, we were enticed by a man to sample a free tasting of Crumbs frozen yogurt. Suffice it to say that the free taste did its job because every day would find one of us buying a cup.




1 'jar' with one topping of choice, starts at HKD28 (around P152.00 or US$3.60)


if you're lucky (and shameless), you can get by with the free sample because it's already substantial

Crumbs has many branches in Hong Kong but the nearest to Hotel Benito in Cameron Road is the one at Granville Rd/Shun Yee Street (about 3 minutes away).

Enjoy flavors like Green Tea Mochi and crumbs that run the gamut of fruits (mangoes, starwberries) to crackers (digestives and Oreo chunks) and sweets (Maltesers, gummy bears, candy sprinkles). I know, certainly something to direct a normal adult searching for the top 10 diet pills but Crumbs frozen yogurt is just soooo worth it.

Maybe it will help if you just concentrate on the yogurt = probiotics part. :)

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Check Crums' official website: http://www.crumbs.com.hk/

A week after being back in Manila and my husband is still craving for the crumbs on their yogurt. It sucks I didn't get to try their scones.