It's a wrap

It can be tough to find a decent piece of wrapping paper in this city, but I stumbled upon a treasure trove this morning in the most unlikely of places.

I was buying envelopes (of all the exciting things) at the Yat Cheong Paper Co. on Lyndhurst Terrace when I spied lots of pretty handmade wrapping paper on display. Choose from paper studded with dried flowers, deep blue paper with marbled streaks, greens, pinks and lots lots more. Now I just need something gorgeous to wrap up...

Yat Cheong Paper Co - G/F, 26 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2815 8466.

Va Va VROOM!

I've never been much of a driver and it was with some trepidation that I agreed to a racing night at the Sideways Driving Club in Central. Tucked away on Chancery Lane Sideways is a virtual racing centre and, in short, a total boy heaven.

Lining the walls are thirteen shiny simulators that on first sight look decidedly more dodgems than David Coulthard, all hooked up to a big screens on which the virtual race plays out. After having donned a rather unattractive pair of "racing socks", Grand Prix wannabes squeeze into the small cockpits, which are (apparently) as much like a real Porsche racing cars as is possible.

After a short briefing from the owners you're let loose on the machines and sent to trial the track before the real racing begins. The driving is a lot more adrenaline fuelled that I'd imagined; if you're in any way competitive seeing your friends whizz past you on your plasma screen, witnessing large scale pile ups at every corner and revving up before the races begin really gets your heart pumping!

The evening is broken down into three parts. The first race is three laps, with a one lap qualifier; the second race is five laps with an obligatory pit-stop and a three lap qualifier; the third race is three laps in driving rain with a one lap qualifier. Yuktai, one of the club's owners, can complete a lap in 1min30secs, her boyfriend, co-owner and ex-professional racer can do it in about 1:20. The fastest in our group sped round in about 1:36 and I was left trailing behind at 1:43.

Between each race there's as much pizza, wine and beer as you can stomach, which must make Sideways one of the only places in the world where you're encouraged to drink and drive.

Sideways' owners Yuktai Chan and her boyfriend own a trading company, which is where they work by day. Needless to say however, Sideways is rapidly overtaking to become their more profitable venture. They cater for individual racing, group racing, tuition and corporate events. Yuktai says that it's fast becoming a popular party venue, and they can even bring their simulators out to other events around the city. They've got some heavyweights behind them too, professional racing car drivers pop in whilst in Hong Kong to practise for upcoming competitions. I think I might hang out there more often, a girl never knows when she might bump into Lewis Hamilton.

For more information on rates and packages click here.

Sideways Driving Club - LG/F, 1 - 2 Chancery Lane, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2523 0983 / email: racing@sideways-racing-club.com.

Loving your Laksa

Laksa lovers look no further. I've checked out Pasar, both in Wanchai and in Central, and am happy to report that they serve up a superlative bowl of this spicy, aromatic comfort food.

The Laksa Supreme (with prawn, fish cakes, squid balls, tofu and egg) costs $68, and you can also opt for Laksa Special (shrimp, cockles, fish cakes, squid balls and tofu) at $48 and Laksa with Singaporean Chicken for the same price. If you're a veggie don't despair, the staff at this friendly joint are happy to omit the meat and fish and prepare a morning glory, tofu and beansprout stuffed version to make sure you don't miss out on this creamy delight.

If Laksa isn't your thing there are plenty of other Singaporean dishes on the menu, from beef rendang to fried carrot cake with shrimp to grilled sambal stingray (much recommended by a friend). They also do lunch and afternoon tea sets if you're on a budget.

Central location - 2/F, Yu Wing Building, 64 - 66 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 3693 4448

Wanchai Location - 97 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: 3168 2057

Moon Festival Lanterns, Victoria Park

There were hundreds of coloured lanterns hanging in Victoria Park this week to celebrate the Moon Festival. The festival always happens on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month of the Chinese calendar when the moon is at its largest, lowest and brightest. It's an important family day in China and relatives gather to eat mooncake and tell stories of Chang'e. As legend has it Chang'e flew to the moon where she has lived ever since. Forget the man in the moon, in China the woman got there first!

A deli-icious slice of home life

As insignificant as it sounds, one of the things that I really miss about living in Europe is popping into the local cheesemonger and stocking up on delicious treats at the tiny Italian deli just around the corner from my old flat. To my mind there's nothing finer than a warm, crispy baguette, a crumbling hunk of Montgomery cheddar, a couple of slices of delicious wafer thin ham and a glass of red wine. I can happily spend half an hour in the cheesemonger breathing in the comforting aromas of extra mature stilton and gently oozing brie, and I love the deli for the lingering smells of Spanish legs of ham and really good olive oil.

I've been missing that in Hong Kong, and although I'm a big fan of Cantonese cuisine there's nothing quite like the therapeutic whiffs of ham and cheese to make me feel comforted and at home. I was delighted, therefore, to stumble across Olala in Wanchai. It's a rare find in this crazy city: a small, wood furnished, simple French deli / brasserie tucked away just off Star Street.

For the princely sum of $72 (£4.50) you get two simple, but hearty courses from the set menu and $98 (£6.30) gets you three. The set menu is excellent value and offers bistro staples like steak frites, a plat du jour and a good, but straightforward lamb dish. None of that for me though, I sprinted straight towards the display of hams, salamis and cheeses stacked under the deli counter. As soon as you walk through the small door the smell of them hits you, and although they cost more at about $120 a plate each it's well worth it. There's a good selection of cheeses and cold meats to choose from and they can all be accompanied by decent French wine. I was extra nice to the staff there; I’m going to need them on my side when I end up at the door happily sniffing the air and completely oblivious to anything else that’s happening around me.

Olala – 1 Electric Steet, G/F, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2294 0450.

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside

OK, so Suffolk isn't exactly in Asia, but I thought I'd deviate... Suffolk isn't a place that usually springs to mind when planning a mini-break by the sea either, but if you're a London based beach lover then it's a lot easier to reach than the far-flung paradises of South-East Asia or Sangria soaked resorts in Spain.

Aldeburgh, which is just 2.5 hours away from central London, is a pretty and quintessentially British place with a huge (albeit pebbley) beach, traditional pubs, snug B&Bs and cute boutiques.

Famous for its annual arts festival and being the place where Benjamin Britten breathed his last it's well worth a weekend visit. Aldeburgh is located right in the heart of rural Suffolk and visitors can make the most of miles of unspoiled countryside, historic villages and lots and lots of fresh air.

The best parts of my trip included delicious Ploughman's Lunches, pints of sweet Suffolk cider, bike rides between Aldeburgh and the pretty villages that surround it, walks on the beach, eating fish and chips from Cooney's (a very famous fish and chip shop) on the shingle, the impressive Snape Maltings , rummaging through the little boutiques that line Aldeburgh's High Street and relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of city living.

There are some great places to stay in and around Aldeburgh (Alastair Sawday is always a great place to start) and a weekend break will give you plenty of opportunity to make the most of this little corner of England.

Smelling sweet and looking fresh at Tiare

The Tiare, a type of Gardenia, is native to Polynesia where young women tuck the flowers behind their ears to show whether they’re on the look out for Mr. Right or not. The white, star-shaped flower is credited with curing a number of ailments, including migraines, and thanks to its sweet, heady fragrance does a pretty good job of covering up the less delicious scents associated with living in a hot and humid climate.

I found a Tiare on Staunton Street. It was a prize example of this pretty genus of flower, and the perfect cure for many frustrating hours spent tramping the malls of Hong Kong looking for something decent to wear. Shopping in Hong Kong isn’t easy unless a) you’re as petite as the Chinese, b) you have a small fortune to spend on designer labels or c) you don’t mind ending up in the same thing as everyone else from Mango, Zara, French Connection or H&M.

Tiare Boutique in Soho is a breath of sweet fresh air that does its namesake proud. Stocked with both established and up-and-coming LA brands the shop offers Western girls on an average budget perfectly selected, stylish clothes that can be worn both at work and play. US clothes means US sizing, and it came as a very pleasant surprise to finally be zipping up into a small again!

Owned by Kathleen Sweeney, a Hong Kong born Californian who’s returned to her roots, and managed by her best-friend and fellow California girl the shop is light and spacious with a refreshingly relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Shoppers can roam the rails in peace without an irritating assistant following half a pace behind, as is so often the case in this city. Dressing rooms are large and even include a pair of stilettos to try the gorgeous dresses, skirts and jeans on with. Make sure you come out of the changing room to admire your reflection though as the mirrors inside make you look deceptively slim.

Tiare’s collection typically includes dresses and t-shirts from Velvet (their bestsellers apparently), Raven Denim (I loved the selection of skinny jeans), Michael Stars tees, clothes by Indo-Chinese inspired brand Da-Nang, dresses by Alan Schwartz for ABS and the new luxury line, Graham & Spencer, from Velvet designers Jenny Graham and Toni Spencer. Accessories junkies can further sate their appetite for all things Californian with a spot-on selection of chunky belts, sexy-but-cute underwear and semi-precious jewellery from Vietnamese-born, US-based designer Thoi Vo.

The collection at Tiare is constantly updated and refreshed and the shop staff are a real help if you’re looking for something special: they know about everything that’s arriving well in advance and I’ve already got my sights set on a slinky deep plum number by Graham and Spencer. Ask to be added to the mailing list too so you can be kept up-to-date about what’s coming in, special events and sales.

I’ve saved best part about Tiare until last… Every girl out for a retail fix can rest easy, the boutique stocks just one of each size in every style throughout their collection. At long last they’ll be no more turning up for drinks and dinner to be greeted with ten identikits looking better in your outfit than you; retail migraine officially relieved.

Tiare Boutique, Ground Floor, 53 Staunton Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong
t. +852 2540 3380 f. +852 2540 3382 e. info@tiareboutique.com
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 10pm; Sunday, 12pm – 6pm; closed on Mondays.