Ding Wang Ma La Guo

It so happened that our friends D and Y were in Taipei at around the same time as we did, so we decided to meet up over spicy hotpot with some of their friends. After all, as far as hotpot goes, it’s always the case of the more people the merrier.

Casual Celebration

This year I celebrated birthday in a more casual style at MUME in Taipei. The restaurant has become quite a talk of the town since its opening 2 years ago, with the team of chefs all with impressive resumes from kitchens around the world, serving Nordic style dishes with interesting combination of ingredients and creative cooking style.

Three-star Sushi Popup

I got into a major sushi crave after my sushi lunch at in Taipei just a couple of days ago – that meal was decent but I felt like something was missing – so you could imagine me jumping up and down getting all excited when I received an email from the PR team at Landmark Mandarin Oriental asking whether I was free to join some of their media friends for lunch at the Sushi Gyoten pop-up happening at their hotel. "Hell yeah of course", I replied almost immediately (of course I did it in a slightly more dignified manner), and that's before I frantically pushed aside everything on my original schedule – I did have a busy guytai life you know, even the lunch fell on my two weeks of work break.

Taipei Sushi Lunch

We are always on the lookout for decent sushi-ya in Taipei and this time, we checked out Shunsai, considered one of the higher end ones with two branches in Taipei. We went to their newer Xinyi branch located in Da’an District, about 10 minutes away on foot from our hotel and reservation was made easy via WeChat about a couple of weeks ago, soon after we finalized our itinerary. Certainly saved us the trouble of making that long-distance phone call.

Recipe: Rustic Cake for the Cooler Season

I made this dessert when my friends from New York T and L came over for dinner one evening in October. As the season of fall finally arrived I wanted to do something that fell in the mood of this cooler season. 

Speedy Fine-Dining Lunch

As I was quickly winding down my current gig, I let myself a bit loose and went off for lunch at Seasons a couple MTR stops away. It was only my first time coming here during the day and I immediately noticed the big difference in the clientele and atmosphere – during day-time the place certainly felt more like a power lunch spot rather than as a restaurant for an intimate night out sort of a venue.

Farewell our "Cafeteria"

Last Saturday we said goodbye to Butterfield’s, the private social club at Taikoo Place owned by its landlord Swire, which we have been going since we moved into the neighborhood. Over the years we came here often enough that it’s almost like the "cafeteria" for us, whether for meeting up with friends over something more proper or just for a casual home-style bites, so we were a bit sad when we got the news that it's closing down to make way for a different, soon-to-be-revealed concept as part of Swire's remodel plan of this office complex.

Caprice in the Autumn

Our plan for dinner at Caprice got pushed back a few times for various reasons but we finally made it in early October, just as we started feeling the end of the unbearably hot season is near. Over the last few months we were at the Caprice Bar more often savoring their wine and cheese selection, to wind down what has been a somewhat stressful time at work for both of us, but I thought a proper meal was in order at the formal dining room next door to check out some of Chef Fabrice’s new dishes for the season.

Meat Craving Satisfied at Beefbar

Sometimes restaurant names can be deceptive, but not so much with beefbar, except the fact that it's not exactly a bar but a proper modern steakhouse on Ice House Street in Central specializes in, of course, beef. I am not a steakhouse person, often preferred to enjoy the big slab of meat at the comfort of my own home in pajamas and slippers rather than having to suit up for a formal meal outside. But I was curious to check out this place after hearing all the positive reviews since opening late last year.

The Re-invented Blue

What previously known as the Blue Butcher has evolved and became just Blue with the byline "Butcher and Meat Specialist", and I was there last weekend to check out their new weekend brunch menu. Other than the name change, there were some other noticeable modifications of the restaurant located on Hollywood Road, including a new, more refined industrial-chic décor, minor adjustments to the menu, and a new butchery room downstairs. And not so noticeable were their moving away from the use of plastic including straws and takeaway containers, and their effort to ensure all food served was of sustainable species.

Pop-Up in the Sky

With the iconic red pillar post-box at the front reception and sea of Union Jacks draped along the narrow corridor leading to the bar and dining area, the team in Ozone at The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong spared no effort in making people feel like they were transposed to London's Duck and Waffle restaurant when we came over for an event featuring the "highest restaurant in London" (Duck and Waffle) at the "highest bar in the world" (Ozone) up on Level 118.