Cocktails and cold weather

A few reports of eating and drinking. That's not all we do, but it's probably the only thing of at least some interest to you:

Last week we finally went to Nha Trang, in Wellington Street. It's a well-known Vietnamese place that does what's supposed to be the best pho in town, for under $40 a bowl. And it was good too. They do a chicken one as well as the traditional beef, and each bowl comes with lime to squeeze into it and some hot chillies to sprinkle on if you want to (a good idea to let you choose!)

Thursday was a Christmas party for our St Andrew's homegroup. Held, somewhat surprisingly, at Delaney's (Irish pub) in Kowloon. A good night, and the first English-style Christmas dinner of the season. We even had Christmas crackers on the table. It was really strange, after an evening of very typical pub-iness, Tetley's bitter, roast and vegetables, gravy, Christmas crackers and party hats, to emerge into the bright tacky neon and muttered "handbag, copy-watch, tailor, make you nice suit" of Tsim Sha Tsui. It was pretty chilly on the way back on the ferry, for the first time since we've been here.

It kept getting chillier, and rainy too yesterday. Not such nice weather for a birthday, but I don't care too much. Had some decent fish and chips at lunch and then some drinks last night at the Vodka Bar and Philia, both of which were really quiet. They must have heard I was coming. But they were both friendly with some good free snacks and really good cocktails. I think the lack of customers was partly due to the weather, and partly due to all the work parties taking over most of the other places nearby — including FINDS which I wanted to try out, but found to be packed with rather corporate types from C B Richard Ellis.

Anyway, dessert buffet at the Grand Hyatt tonight...