Gin Dinner

I don't know what got my attention first, whether it's the chance to preview a soon-to-be-opened restaurant or the unusual pairing of food with gin from one of my favorite makers, but anyway, this is our first time sitting down for a proper meal at Sake Central at PMQ, prepared by guest chef Shun Sato with a special menu paired with bottles from the Kyoto-based artisanal gin distillery Ki No Bi during their month-long pop-up promotion. 

Dinner Near the War Zone

With random passersby being beaten by batons and tear gas firing aimlessly at protestors just a couple blocks away from where we sat and ate, we were not in particular joyful mood to enjoy a nice dinner at this new restaurant near Soho. But we got on with our original plan – figured one still had to eat no matter what circumstances, right?

Young Chef's Pop-up Menu

We recently went back to visit PMQ Taste Kitchen to check out the latest pop-up menu from a local young chef. Biased as I might be, I always love this idea of restaurant incubator concept (managed by our friends J and C) that allows new chefs to test out new recipes and business ideas with full set-up and operational support, and we were always surprised (and impressed) from the few visits we made previously.

Pop-up at PMQ

I really loved the concept of Taste Kitchen, providing venue and support for up-and-coming culinary talents local and overseas the opportunity to showcase their work as pop-up restaurants in their homebase at PMQ. And my hats off to my friends Joshua and Caleb of Twins Kitchen in making that happens. Recently I was there to check out the dishes by Chef Siam Sattayaphan of Fat Legs’ BBQ, who started as a private caterer of Thai-style grilled dishes and now taking a 2-week residence at the Taste Kitchen, serving Thai lunches and dinners.

Chef Couple Takes Over: Bo.lan in Hong Kong

I almost lost track of how many "pop-up dinners" I have attended this summer, with so many visiting chefs making whistle stops in town offering one-off menu at various locations from restaurants to bars to specialty kitchen studios.

NYC Pop-up: Birds and Bubbles

I was at ISONO at PMQ a few Sundays ago for a special event to preview their summer menu in collaboration with Chef Sarah Simmons of Birds & Bubbles from New York City, featuring some of their signature dishes, including the fried chicken and champagne pairing (hence the name of the restaurant). I enjoyed the food so much that we decided to return a couple Sunday later, this time, to catch up with some friends over brunch.

Chef's Tasting Menu at Vasco

We made our reservation a month ago to try out Vasco, one of the many new restaurants opened recently at PMQ, in a Saturday evening. The restaurant shared the duplex premise with Isono Eatery and Bar, a more casual tapas bar under the same management just one floor below. We did try Isono a couple months back soon after its opening and weren't 100% impressed. But Vasco is positioned to be the finer version, plus I did hear some good words about the food here from various people, so I suppose it's worth a try.