I couldn't find the time to go a shooting range when I was in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, so I popped over to Russia's neighbour to the West - Tallinn, Estonia - to fire historical Soviet and contemporary guns.
September 29, 2015
I bid farewell to Moscow on a high - literally - note, and Saint Petersburg was no different.
Saint Petersburg is the historical, luxuriant counterpart to Moscow's gaudy new-money glamour, so Palkin was the perfect fit for my last meal in Imperial Russia's capital. There's nothing I love more than dining in high-end, historically-rich, slightly-chintzy, rose-hued ambience and enjoying dinner-table theatrics with exceptionally attentive service - in other words, dining like a Tsar. So when my parents told me to pick a restaurant for our last dinner in St P, my research told me that it had to be Palkin!
September 21, 2015
Hungry for more? Here are 4 More Restaurants to try in St Petersburg, Russia
All the lavish sights of Saint Petersburg does give one an appetite so its just as well that the city's gastronomical offerings are diverse. Vegetarian, traditional Russian, contemporary Eastern-Western fusion - I've tasted all those for your consideration (and for my own selfish reasons too, ahem).
*here's a fifth: The W St. Petersburg's restaurant
September 17, 2015
I mentioned in my Moscow blog post that the Russian capital is a juxtaposition of Communist relics and nouveau-riche ostentation. The opposite seems to be true of St Petersburg - the city's contemporaries are decidedly more relaxed, while monuments to decadence and excess are firmly entrenched in history.
The Tsars and Tsarinas of Russia were the original Gs. Their subjects must've felt the same way - fed up of living under the thumb of their social betters, the proletariat revolted. By 1917, the Tsarist autocracy effectively dismantled when Tsar Nicholas II, the last Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russia abdicated. Only a year later, the Tsar and his family (the Romanovs) would meet a bloody end at the hands of the Bolsheviks. Before the tide of revolution washed away the last of the ruling class, the capital was Saint Petersburg (or Petrograd as it was briefly named between 1914 - 1924) - an imperial city whose fabulous palaces and grand cathedrals showcased the might and wealth of the Tsars. It still is, today - St Petersburg feels like a city frozen in a time of Imperial Russia. I arrived in Moscow by way of Sapsan (Russia's answer to Japan's shinkansen - bullet train) and was immediately impressed by how the city seemed eerily untouched by the ravages of modernisation. St Petersburg felt very much like a museum whose hallowed halls are haunted by the spectres of history.
September 13, 2015
The W's first and only Russian hotel is surprisingly not in flashy Moscow, but in chilled-out St. Petersburg.
THE W ST. PETERSBURG - W HOTEL'S FIRST RUSSIAN HOTEL
At first it seems quite the juxtaposition, as between the two Russian cities St Petersburg is the effortlessly-chic cousin (you know, the one who shows up your 'dress to impress' efforts by looking frustratingly hot in her messy top knot and last minute smudge of red lipstick - that b*tch!) - seemingly at odds with the W Hotel ethos ie. cool-chasers who push trends like the proverbial 15 minutes are nearly up. And such trends - ceramic creatures in bell jars, designer furniture, wire goldfish swimming through the communal area. From the dizzying smorgasbord of funky design in every corner of the 'Living Room' you'd be forgiven to think that you'd taken the wrong flight and landed in Moscow. I mean, the lobby, sorry, living room, had its own DJ.
September 11, 2015
Every international luxury destination needs an elevated perch for its capital's elite to survey their city from. In Moscow, that happens to be the shiny new O2 Lounge - the rooftop bar of the Ritz-Carlton.
I wanted to see out Moscow in style. On my last night I hurriedly packed for St Petersburg, left the calm of my hotel and braved Tverskaya Ulitsa - the busiest street in Moscow - for all of a five minute walk. I only had to pop next door to the Ritz-Carlton. Past the fleet of supercars parked outside (and admirers snapping away eagerly) myself and present company (family and friends) made a beeline to the lifts that would take us up to Moscow's most glamourous observation deck.
September 08, 2015
Party like it’s the 19th century - dine the Russian gentry way, as if the revolution never happened.
Don’t be lulled by the seemingly-casual ‘café’ prefix - Cafe Pushkin is really a 5* star restaurant that operates the ‘face-control’ standard of upmarket Moscow establishments ie. ladies in heels and dresses, gentlemen get away with casual clothing if they wear elegant shoes. That’s no reason to dismiss Cafe Pushkin as snooty and elitist, even if the premise is that this elegant Moscow café, with its gorgeously presented Russian-French dishes served by staff who beautifully speak pre-Sovietized Russian, is the place to dine in 19th century style. This restaurant never sleeps, and like Duck & Waffle in London, is the refined watering hole for night-owls and party people who want their haute bites at silly o’clock. The service is impeccable, the surroundings are sumptuous, the food is exquisite (and has the prices to match, but you say potato, I say poh-tah-toe).
September 06, 2015
I arrived in Russia to a room with a view - facing Moscow's iconic Red Square and Kremlin.
A room with a view: what lies yonder of the windows of the Studio Rooms with Kremlin view. I think it an amusing contrast of sorts to stay in the shiny, modern W Hotel at historical St. Petersburg, yet in the relatively-young Russian capital of Moscow I checked into a century-old landmark that has seen tsarists and communists alike come and go amidst the tempest of the 20th century: Hotel National, A Luxury Collection Hotel. I would like to take the time to tell you what makes Hotel National so special, but it's way past midnight here in St. Petersburg and I have to be up and early (you could say I'm Russian this post, haha) in a few hours, so I'll let the hotel explain for me (bad blogger, I knooooow! I promise I'll make it up to you):
August 28, 2015
Nordic Noms - My 5 Helsinki Dining Destinations
To round up my posts on Helsinki, I've saved the best for last - food!
Even if you're not crazy for design hotels, island-hopping, shopping and museums, I just know there isn't one of you reading this that doesn't like looking at food porn - unless you're hungry and miserable, in which case look away: there's a lot of mouth-watering pictures in this blog post from sweet and savoury pizzas to reindeer meat. Consider yourself warned.
July 21, 2015
If you ever need proof that Helsinki is a design-lover's dream (aka 'hipster heaven') you'd only have to look to Design District Helsinki.
Spanning the areas of Punavuori, Kaartinkaupunki, Kamppi and Ullanlinna; the district (which has its own website devoted to events including late night shopping) is a delightful smorgasbord of shops that cover vintage, decor, interior design, and fashion - all easily within walking distance as Helsinki is a very compact city designed for le flâneur (what's the Finnish word for that?). Although Design District Helsinki seems to be a badge of honour sported only by some shops; museums, galleries, and even flea markets inevitably fall into the area covered by the district and are certainly worthy of a visit when you're in Helsinki. In fact, never mind a designated design district - I think the entire city of Helsinki is a design district, hence my title: Helsinki, Design District (instead of Design District Helsinki).
July 19, 2015
I discovered a Helsinki shopping gem for lovers of all things eclectic and bohemian: a pastel-hued rainbow of a lifestyle boutique by the name of Moko Market & Café.
This concept store seemingly springs out of nowhere in an unassuming street of Helsinki's Design District like a bouquet of blossoms; a riot of soft yet vibrant colours, gorgeous oh-so-touchable textures, and a shabby chic aesthetic that compliments its address and surroundings - an old industrial building in Helsinki's former labour district. Brimming with carefully curated interior design, vintage items, artisan coffee and food ingredients, books and stationery from around the world, Moko Market & Café is a concept store which is very much a labour of love - a family business founded in 1991, still run by the two sisters. The care and attention to detail that goes lovingly into Moko Market & Café especially comes across in their café, where the daily menu emphasises homemade culture and organic ingredients.
July 17, 2015
Not just a pocket-sized hipster haven buzzing with design, technology, and rabid seagulls; Helsinki is that rare breed of capital city suited to both land-lubbers and sea-farers, what with the 330 islands that make up its archipelago.
Helsinki is a city of quays, piers, and Marimekko-striped tops. It's a city where ferries are considered public transport; where a casual day out involved hopping on your yacht, boat, pet dolphin (threw that one in there to see if you were paying attention) to a nearby island for a spot of sight-seeing, history, and ice-cream - not necessarily in that order. Fancy a stroll through a UNESCO-heritage fortress city? Hop on the ferry to Suomenlinna Island. Need to fill up your tanks (boat and stomach)? Nip over to Skiffer Island and refuel, both at the floating gas stations and at Skiffer Restaurant. Need to let the kids off leash without worrying they'll somehow escape across the border and spark off an Interpol search-and-capture? Take them to Helsinki Zoo at Korkeasaari - unless they're mermaids, they're not getting off the island without you.
July 15, 2015
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