metrosnapshot - a blog about travel, food and photography

Apr 29

10 Days in Europe: Eating and Shopping Around Milan

After two days in London came the main event: the Salone del Mobile (Milan Furniture Fair) in Milan. This is something that I’ve been doing nearly every April for the last 7 years. For one week, over 300,000 people descend upon the city of Milan for one thing: design. These people include designers, architects, buyers, sellers and students. The whole city turns into one big exhibition of design in all aspects; it’s impossible to see everything, but I still try.

I got here a day before the press preview just to give myself a little break and get settled. It also happened to be the day of the Milan Marathon, so the area around the Duomo was closed to traffic.

Upon checking in to the hotel, one of the first things I did was to buy some gelato at GROM, which was just down the street. So the eating begins…

Then it’s the Gucci Cafe nearby at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Didn’t really know what to order, but didn’t just want order something plain like an espresso, so I asked about this thing called the “espresso shakerato” and they said it was good. So I ordered it, and it turned out to be cold coffee drink in a champagne glass. And it was YUM. The two pieces of Gucci chocolate was also a nice touch, along with the people watching of course.

Of course, you can’t say you’ve been to Milan if you didn’t shop (or window shop), so I headed for 10 Corso Como, one of the coolest shops in town. It’s a “curated” shop of fashion, music, books and food all located inside rooms inside a courtyard. Oh yes, there’s even a hotel called 3 Rooms – because it really has only 3 rooms/suites.

In addition to the main shop on Corso Como, there is also an outlet not too far away by Garibaldi Station, located at the end of a bizarre street. If you look hard enough you may find some bargains, sometime at 40% off retail. For me, the outlets around Milan are much better. That’s coming in the next post.

After all of the walking, it was finally time for dinner. I had made reservations at a restaurant called Erba Brusca, which is headed by chef Alice Delcourt, who was born in France to a British mother and a French father, but has been in Italy for some time. The restaurant is actually located at the southern edge of the city, but you can still get to it via the metro (MM2 Abbiategrasso), and then with a 15-20 minute walk to the Naviglio Pavese, and you’ll see the restaurant.

The food. What can I say about the food? It was delicious. Alice came out to explain the Italian menu in English – nearly item by item. We had come across a vegetable called “agretti” and had absolutely no clue what it was, so she brought some out for some sampling They actually do grow their own herbs and some vegetables right behind the restaurant.

Okay, enough of the talking, so here are some photos of the wonderful food.

Agretti Saltati

Pizzoccheri

Risotto con Foie Gras

Pollo di Moncucco

Tarte Tatin

The walk back to the train station was a great way to get some after-dinner exercise before bed, ready for tomorrow’s trek to the outlet.

Here’s the Piazza del Duomo at night, along with the near-empty interior of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Apr 21

10 Days in Europe: London Weekend

It’s April yet again, and I was off to the Salone del Mobile in Milan (aka Milan Furniture Fair). Instead of diving myself directly into the craziness of the furniture show in Milan with 300,000 attendees, I decided to start off with a weekend in London to see some friends and just hang out.

As we all know, London is not a cheap town. In looking up reasonable accommodations, I wasn’t able to find a reasonable hotel these days for around £100 (US$150) a night like I did before the London Olympics. So I ventured out to sites like Airbnb and Housetrip and found a studio apartment in Marylebone for $165/night (plus cleaning fees). The Marylebone area is a quiet residential area just a few blocks north of busy Oxford Street with its own High Street full of nice shops and restaurants and cafes. Personally I think it’s a nice London hideaway. The Monocle store nearby (and the recently opened cafe) is a nice touch too.

So the studio was not a big one. It’s got a good sized bed on a platform, a small kitchen with a dining table, and a bathroom with a shower. The basement location is not ideal, but it works. The studio owner even provided a welcome bottle of wine, which was a nice touch.

Since I’ve been to London several times, the day was spent roaming around town buying tea from Fortnum & Mason, and visiting Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge. It wasn’t until evening that I met up with my friend Mel in Soho and went to a pretty cool bar that served drinks in a teapot before walking all the way back to Marylebone.

The next day was yet another relaxing one, without much in mind. In the morning I visited the renovated Kings Cross station, complete with the famous Platform 9 3/4 of Harry Potter fame. The was a long line of people waiting to take photos with the luggage cart, and complete with a fully stocked store next door where you can purchase the photo and much more.

The afternoon was used to take in a show – The Book of Mormon. This was a popular show on Broadway, co-written by the creators of South Park and Avenue Q. Amazingly entertaining with lots of laughs. For me, it was way overdue. Believe it or not, it was actually cheaper to watch it in London than in New York.

Then it was more window shopping back in Marylebone at The Conran Shop. Love this place. You can find some of the finest designs here, including my favorite Fritz Hansen pieces.

Finally, it’s time for dinner. This time crossing the River Thames down to Brixton Village for dinner at the Brixton Village Grill’d, which serves Spanish cuisine. This place had one of the spiciest sauces for everything. I was so stuffed walking out of the restaurant.

Well, that’s it for London!

Jul 25

Mini-weekend in Europe: 48 Hours in Helsinki, Day 2

Day 2: Marimekko, Ruokala Lokki and the Aalto Cafe

A few quick days really goes by fast, I was already on the last day of my mini-weekend getaway. This morning, I was off to the Helsinki suburb of Herttoniemi to visit the corporate headquarters for Marimekko, a well-known Finnish design company known for its patterned (often colorful) fabrics and housewares. I visited the showrooms which showcased some of the latest as well as upcoming collections, but most importantly the factory. Since the month of July is the time for vacations in Finland, the factory was not in operation, so I got to see a very different side to the operation. As photos were not allowed inside, I’ll post some official photos as provided by Marimekko when the post goes up on DesignsWeLove.

After the tour, it was shopping time. The headquarters had its own store as well as an outlet store which opened at 10am. Most people come all the way out here really for the outlet, as many of the items have been heavily discounted. The photos posted here are from the non-outlet portion of the store, as (again) photos were not allowed in the outlet.

In trying to fulfill the shopping lists of friends, I ended up in two other stores in Kamppi as well as the flagship store on the Esplanadi before finally heading for lunch. My lunch plan was to visit a restaurant called Kahvila Suomi, which is the setting for the 2006 Japanese film Ruokala Lokki, or Kamome (seagull) Diner. This film definitely had its own following in Japan, as many of the restaurant’s patrons were Japanese. I even overheard one of the Japanese tourists said, “Wow, this is just like Japan (with all of the Japanese people)!)

The food was not too bad. For 9 Euros I got a salad, a drink and a main dish – fried fish in my case – and with a side of French fries. On top of that, for 1,80 Euro I purchased the cinnamon bun that was featured in the film. I ate well, but deep inside I was expecting something special, but didn’t get that. It was just a nice way to spend some time indoors on a rainy day.

Interestingly enough, the skies began to clear up as I walked out of the restaurant. I just walked and walked as I normally would do in a city these days; I don’t necessarily have to have a destination – ’cause with that you may experience a different side of the city. Well, I wandered a bit and I was inside the Academic Bookstore and ran into the Aalto Cafe, named after the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who also designed the interior of the cafe. I ordered the mango ice cream with lingonberries and caramel on top – and with whipped cream. I coupled it with a nice hot cup of cappuccino to balance things out.

It seems my day was basically shopping and eating, right? Well, there’s one more. Dinner.

I searched and searched for a place to eat for dinner but couldn’t find anything for an hour. Many of the restaurants are closed for midsummer holidays. My original choice for dinner was Eat&Joy, a place I saw on the NY Times feature for Helsinki. They were closed too, so I ended up at the Central Railway Station for hot dogs. Yep. That’s what I ended up with. The first photo is Eat&Joy, and the second you can figure out.

Of course, you can’t leave Helsinki without having dessert at Kappeli Cafe. So I got myself a Kappeli’s Cake and a cappuccino to finish the evening on a good note. And it’s still bright at 10pm.

Until next time, Helsinki. I hope it won’t be another ten years til I meet you again.

Jul 24

Mini-weekend in Europe: 48 Hours in Helsinki, Day 1

After a two-and-a-half hour flight from London Heathrow, I arrived in Helsinki just before midnight, in time to see the sunset from the air. After all, it is summer in the Nordic countries. A short 25-minute bus ride later, I arrived at the Helsinki Central Station and walked straight to my hotel, the Hotel Rivoli Jardin. This is a family-run hotel in the heart of Helsinki. The room was very comfortable.

Day 1: World Design Capital, Museums and Aimless City Walks

The next morning I headed for the Pavilion, which is the center of events for the World Design Capital 2012 Helsinki. The Pavilion, designed at Aalto University’s Wood Program, is a showcase of Finnish sustainable wood architecture.

Below is a time lapse video on the construction of the structure.

The Pavilion itself is very open, with a theatre area for talks. A list of daily events is posted outside.

Since I woke up late and missed the free hotel breakfast, I ended up ordering some fried herring with a cappuccino to get me started for the day.

Since the Pavilion was in between the Designmuseo and the Museum of Finnish Architecture, I decided to visit them first. The Finnish design exhibition “Finnish Form” at the Designmuseo was fascinating, showcasing Finnish design history from the 19th century to today. Who knew these Fiskars scissors I use today were of Finnish design?

I then took a little detour and walked to the Helsinki Cathedral, then onto the Aleksanterinkatu, which is a main shopping street in the city, and around to the Central Railway Station.

My main destination is actually the Kampin Kapelli, which is also known as the Chapel of Silence, an example of timber architecture built via sustainable construction materials and methods as part of the World Design Capital 2012 program.

I then headed across the busy street to the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. I first visited this museum over ten years ago, but the museum is just as modern today as it was then.

There was a Finnish comic exhibition going on, and this was one of the displays with comic strips below the huge mural.

There were also installations throughout the museum. This particular one was for the Occupy Movement.

I thought this one was just a nice photo with the lighting…

Well, there’s more. I figured since it wasn’t raining, I’d go visit the Rock Church (Temppeliaukion kirkko), which is a church built from the granite rock that is on site. The copper top design also brings in natural lighting into the church, which is a wonderful sight when inside the church.

I continued to stay within the center of the city, walking to the back of the Kiasma (check out the building!), then to the newly opened Helsinki Music Center (Musikkittalo), which was unveiled last year at a cost of 189 million Euros. I wanted to check out a performance but unfortunately there was nothing on the calendar. Maybe next time.

Definitely a lot for one day, don’t you think?

Jul 23

Mini-weekend in Europe: 10 Hours in London

Editor’s note: I realize that I’ve only written “Day 1″ for Scandinavia, and I promise I will finish those posts, but in the spirit of continuing to post on this blog, I’ve decided to post my latest travels and then go back to catch-up. Thanks for your patience!

I’m a big believer in personal downtime. This is a moment in which you are alone – no family, no friends – just spending a little time with yourself and have a little time to relax, have some fun, and even reflect a bit. So while I had the opportunity last weekend, I decided I was going to spend 3 days in Europe, specifically in London and Helsinki.

So why did I pick these cities in the first place? Well, Helsinki was really my ultimate destination, but due to complications with flight connections it made more sense to make a day trip to London and then continue to Helsinki that same evening. This way I can maximize my time and really spend time on the ground. On Friday evening, I took the red-eye and landed in London Heathrow Terminal 3 just before 8am.

Thinking that my next flight in 10 hours will be in the new Terminal 5, I headed over there to store my luggage in the terminal. After I did that I went to the British Airways counter to make sure that my boarding pass is in order before heading to the city to meet a friend. Of course, with my luck I found out that my flight will be departing out of Terminal 3 (my original terminal). I decided to just go with the flow, so the first thing I did was to check out Terminal 5.

The main terminal itself, opened in 2008, is the largest free-standing structure in the UK. The inside of the main terminal is quite large, and is quite tiring to walk from end to end. However, the check in counters seems so small and cramped for a terminal of its size. Compared with other major airports around the world, this is a bit of a disappointment.

I was told to try out the Heathrow Pod, which is a green transportation system that moves passengers from the business car park to the terminal itself. The system itself is automatic; simply select your destination and the doors to the pod will open.

Press another button to close the door, and then once more to start the system – and you’re off! The system itself will automatically take you to your destination, which is about 5 minutes. Check out the video below (this was taken from YouTube):

After this it was off to the city via the Tube. While changing trains at Earl’s Court, you can’t help but notice all of the Olympic-related signage everywhere. There were quite a few at the airport, but I was busy trying to get into town that I didn’t bother taking many photos.

I met up with my friend at Paddington Station next to the famous Paddington Bear bronze statue. Perhaps it’s because the Olympics was only 13 days away, the crowd at the station on a Saturday morning at 10am made the place look like a total madhouse.

Since it was raining, there’s not much else to do but to sit at the local Starbucks (yes, Starbucks) to chat, then heading over to Kings Road to see what’s new and cool in London. I’ve found that this street is actually now my new place to hang out in London. It’s much less crowded than Oxford Street and it has maintained a much more charming atmosphere. The nearby Saatchi Gallery is of course another draw. If you really wanted the larger shops, there’s Peter Jones – and then with a short walk you’ll be in Knightsbridge. Can’t really complain.

We ended up at the Danish sandwich and smoothie shop Joe and the Juice for a nice tuna sandwich and a smoothie called “Sex Me Up”, which is a drink consisting of passion fruit, apple and ginger. Just a real nice and relaxing afternoon before heading right back to Heathrow for the evening flight to Helsinki.

Mar 12

8 Days in Scandinavia: Stockholm Day 1

Recently I took a trip to Sweden and Denmark. The plane ticket was just too cheap to resist – even though it was for February. Just two weeks before the trip, Europe experienced a cold spell that was so cold that it even snowed for the first time in Rome in 26 years, and traffic came to a screeching halt. Well, many parts of Europe came to a screeching halt. This really made me wonder how cold it would actually be, as for 2 days of the trip I will be in the Arctic Circle – so it was important that I actually bundle up.

Being from California, I don’t own any winter clothes. Not even for skiing (I don’t ski). So after asking friends that do know more than I do, I ended up at the local Sports Basement store which was offering a storewide discount on everything. These guys are seriously knowledgeable. So $500 later, I ended up with gear from head to toe, including this cool Orage Alaskan Jacket. I was ready for -25 degrees Celcius (-13 Fahrenheit).

As the departure date drew near, the weather in Scandinavia became warmer by the day. That was a relief. Even in the Arctic Circle the forecast was for about -15C, which compared with -35C it was definitely good news.

Hello Again, Stockholm

So after 15 hours of flights later, I’m in Stockholm. This was only my second time in the Swedish capital, but the last trip being more than 10 years ago during the summer. This being my first time during winter, so I didn’t know what to expect. But I was looking forward to seeing the city in snow, and visiting many of the design shops for content for my design blog – so here I am.

So the first day was probably the worst combination possible: snow and rain. So the streets of Stockholm is filled with slush and therefore not very pleasant. The only “plan” I had on the agenda for the day was dinner at Mathias Dahlgren’s casual dining restaurant Matbaren in the evening, so I decided to do a little walking tour to get myself reacquainted with the city, which is now popular with the Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series, most recently with the movie “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”. Since I have never read the book nor have seen the movie, I decided to start with the Drottinggatan, which is a main shopping street in the Norrmalm district. In the photo below you’ll see PUB, which is the department store Greta Garbo worked at when she was discovered. Pretty cool, eh? The inside of the store was not all that exciting until you get to the home section on the top floor – it was filled with design products for the home. I was in heaven.

After walking the Drottinggatan, I turned over to the Birger Jarlsgatan towards Stureplan, which is a square filled with nice shops. This street also splits Norrmalm with Östermalm, which is an upscale part of Stockholm.

Not too far from Stureplan is the Östermalms Saluhall, which is an upscale food hall with restaurants and just food stalls selling everything from fish to Swedish wagyu (yes, apparently they have that too in Sweden). I just wasn’t hungry enough to try anything. I did read though that you must have herring in Sweden, so I figured I’ll run into it again somewhere.

Walking across the Östermalmstorg square is the beginning of a few design shops in the area, including the well-known Asplund store. This is a shop that sells all kinds of home furnishings, including Asplund’s own line as well as well-known international brands.

After some rest back in the hotel room, it’s time for the main event: dinner at the 1-Michelin star Matbaren inside the Grand Hotel. So as I’ve mentioned before, this is a casual restaurant. There is a formal dining room called the Matsalen (2 Michelin stars) which is just next door. So here is what you get when you sit down: a tray with your utensils, glass and then a bag with today’s date on it. What’s inside? It’s actually bread.

So dinner begins with natural foie gras and artichoke with a vinaigrette of hazelnuts (bakad ekologisk gåslever kronärtskocka, vinägrett på hasselnötter). The foie gras seems to have melted into everything, so you have to mix everything up and eat it. This was yum.

Then it’s fried reindeer and gnocchi with ginger, cabbage and spring onions (stekt renkalv & äggklimp, ingefära, vitkål, sticklök). This was definitely my favorite dish. I’ve had reindeer on my last trip to Sweden, but I just can’t remember how that tasted. This was just a very tender rendition.

And finally, the dessert. Baked wild chocolate from Bolivia. sour cream, toffee ice cream, nuts (ugnsbakad vild choklad från Bolivia. Gräddfil, tofféeglass, nötter).

Evening ends with a short subway (and expensive) ride back from the Kungsträdgården station to the hotel. Note that the station is so “raw” with art.

Dec 13

Exploring Tokyo: Eastward.

There are quite a few architectural projects going on in Tokyo lately, including the Tokyo Sky Tree, which is already the world’s tallest broadcasting tower at 634 meters high (2,080 feet), and is already the tallest man-made structure in Japan (in earthquake country no less). The area around the Tokyo Sky Tree has become one of the new areas to explore in Tokyo.

Continue reading “Exploring Tokyo: Eastward.” »

Sep 17

London Walking.

Today was a really long day. Visited the British Museum and saw quite a few interesting artifacts today, including the Moai from Easter Island (which has been on my list to visit simply because of its remote location), the Rosetta Stone and a Ming Dynasty paper currency. Of course, let’s not forget the Great Court by Norman Foster.

Continue reading “London Walking.” »

Sep 17

Back in London Post Eyjafjallajökull.

It’s been two years since I’ve been here in London. I was supposed to be here after the 2010 Milan Furniture Fair to see some friends, but the plans were interrupted due to the volcano eruption in Iceland (whose name, Eyjafjallajökull, I still can’t pronounce).

Continue reading “Back in London Post Eyjafjallajökull.” »

Sep 17

A New Beginning.

Four years ago, I started the blog wanting to write about what I love – travel, design, photography and food – but there were just too many things. I mainly wrote about travel and design, but later realized that I really needed to separate the two as a blog really should have focus. As a result, I moved the design blog under DesignsWeLove just before the Milan Furniture Fair, and left this original blog on hold until I had some time to think.

So after five months of hiatus, this “new” metrosnapshot will be more of a personal travel blog – local to international. I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.

Thanks for reading.

10 Days in Europe: Eating and Shopping Around Milan

10 Days in Europe: London Weekend

Mini-weekend in Europe: 48 Hours in Helsinki, Day 2

Mini-weekend in Europe: 48 Hours in Helsinki, Day 1

Mini-weekend in Europe: 10 Hours in London

8 Days in Scandinavia: Stockholm Day 1

Exploring Tokyo: Eastward.

London Walking.

Back in London Post Eyjafjallajökull.

A New Beginning.

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