Urban Escape

Admittedly, without spa or gym or swimming pool or dine-in dinner service (that was back when those COVID restrictions were still in place), the idea of staycation lost quite a bit of charm. That said it didn't stop us from planning a stay at Marco Polo Gateway for one night during the Easter long weekend, courtesy of the newly launched GHA Discovery loyalty program. Turned out it was a blessing in disguise and a much needed getaway from all the life madness. 

Sushi Hisayoshi

We went for sushi once again a few weekends ago at a new restaurant in TST. Saw my friend’s IG story about this place earlier and learned that this is the outpost for Tokyo’s Ginza Iwa in their second attempt to open a branch in this part of the world. This sushi-ya took up the space formerly occupied by a high-end ramen joint at the quieter section of Harbour City. The décor was classic with the pale wooden tones with a spacious U-shaped counter which can seat 15+ comfortably and another counter/private room at the back if they were able to operate in full capacity.

Holiday Sushi

We had more proper sushi meal in town than ever before since the pandemic, for obvious reasons. The latest one came a month ago at Sushi Tokami at Harbour City. When we saw an empty spot available during the Lunar New Year long holiday, we took it and so here we are, going for an omakase meal at 2pm on Nin Chor Yee (or the second day of the new year). 

Cafe with a Thai Twist

At the onset Lady Nara is definitely not the place I would choose to go – I thought with its fancy, garden-like décor with props everywhere for a cheesy snap, it’s more suited for those young IGers eager for those “candid”, “likes”-catching story posts swinging in those rattan couch or looking over the harbor view holding a colorful drink. And I was proven wrong with a meal there recently – well turned out it has all that I have mentioned, but they also got decent food and unique dishes that woo its customers and contributed to its popularity since they opened a few months ago at Harbour City. 

Cheesy Dinner

It's probably more common to see a winemaker or sommelier joining us for dinner rather than a fromager, or cheesemonger, but recently I got such an experience with Francois Bourgon of Fromagerie Xavier co-hosting us at Epure in TST for a special cheese-themed tasting dinner prepared by its Chef Nicolas Boutin. I guess I could call myself a cheese lover but definitely not an expert so it's an excellent opportunity to learn more from someone who's a specialist in his trade (and a decorated MOF because of that)

The Best Ever

“The best ever by the chef” was the comment I heard from my friend RR who went to eat at Haku recently. I came to eat here a few times last year and witnessed quite a transformation from good to great, not just the cooking or the choice of ingredients, but the overall dining experience. And that along with the comments by our foodie friends, we were excited to return to the restaurant to check out their latest menu, courtesy of our friend Chef Agustin who invited us over.

Going Back to Haku

When our friends C and M asked us for recommendations of casual fine-dining place on the Kowloon side, we told them about Haku and Chef Agustin’s creative cooking. And we were just as happy to tag along when they made a booking to eat there one weekend evening.

Everything with Truffle Flavor

The other day I went for a dinner tasting at yet another new restaurant that popped up inside Harbour City – I am still amazed at the number of new openings happening here on a regular basis. And this time I am even more amazed at the restaurant concept itself, with the whole place focused on the single ingredient of truffles.

Serious Kappo Dinner

Maybe it’s what I heard from others who have been, or I am just curious about this interesting combination of the chef and the concept and the venue, but Haku is one restaurant I have been wanting to visit for some time, and we worked out of the way to arrange this dinner date there in September before our long trip out.

Fancy lunch across harbor

We thought we should give it a try to some of the restaurants on the other side (of the harbor) so we made a booking for lunch at Epure. We have been here before once about 2 years ago and thought that was enjoyable, so we expected even more now that they have the first Michelin star. Though the main dining area was more or less the same as before, now they also expanded to include an outdoor area for their Bistro/Café serving a more casual, all-day dining menu. Definitely worth our consideration next time when we wanted something less formal.

Shopping Mall Sushi (Not What You Think)

We are very curious to see how a serious sushi joint in a high street shopping mall would fare when we made a lunch reservation at Sushi Tokami which opened only a few months ago at Harbour City in TST. Of course we are not talking about just another regular restaurant chain - after all Sushi Tokami Hong Kong is the first overseas branch of the highly-regarded, Michelin-starred sushi-ya in Tokyo bearing the same name.