Decadent Beef Hotpot

A bunch of us ventured out to Tsuen Wan on a random weeknight for some decadent beef hotpot at a speakeasy style restaurant inside an industrial building. The place went by the name of "Prime Team"  (傲嚐) and it could be a bit hard to get to, even when we decided to drive and park, but at the end, I am sure everyone at the dinner thought it’s well worth the hassle.

Two in a Row

I haven’t made my way back to Tate Dining Room for years, and not since chef-owner Vicky Lau moved her restaurant to the current location on Hollywood Road in 2016. But when I finally did, I went not once but twice in the same week earlier this month.

Whimsical Celebration

We were at Chef Uwe Opocensky’s namesake restaurant a few weeks ago for our annual celebration. The restaurant, called Uwe and opened slightly over a year ago, is the chef’s next big project since his days at Mandarin Oriental – and in between, a hugely successful casual dining chain Beef and Liberty in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

End of an Era

"The End of an Era" was the feeling most of us shared when a group of us walked in to the private dining room of Amber at Landmark Mandarin Oriental for a special dinner recently. The Michelin-starred restaurant (and a prominent feature of Hong Kong’s fine-dining scene) would close for a few months to undergo a facelift and transformation, and before that, in their final week, they were hosting a series of "farewell dinner" featuring signature dishes from each of the 14 years of “Amber 1.0”, as its chef Richard Ekkebus called it.

Five stars (and counting) plus the First Growth

Just a glance at the menu put on the table one would know this is going to be an extraordinary night of wining and dining. On one side was 8 courses of dishes including items like beef tartare with oyster and caviar, or double-boiled sea whelk soup with walnut and conpoy. Then on the other side was the flight of wines, including a few different vintages by one of the best known names spanning over 4 decades. And all of these were put together by two amazing chefs and a prominent local wine merchant featuring one of the most well-known wine estates.

Game On

A few weeks ago we had a delightful meal at On Dining when Chef Philippe Orrico presented a few seasonal game dishes in the prime of the game season. I was at the same restaurant only a couple of weeks before for their Sunday brunch, but it did feel a bit different being here in the evening with the office buildings and the neon lights in the city as backdrop in a clear but slightly chilly night.

Four-Hands Menu at Nicholini's

As I returned to Hong Kong on late Saturday afternoon after a “whirlwind staycation” in Macau, I headed straight to Nicholini’s of Conrad for a special dinner featuring a guest chef from Tuscany. Chef Gaetano Trovato of Arnolfo Ristorante in Northern Tuscany joined hands with Chef Riccardo Catarsi of Nicholini’s joined hands to present a special 6-course dinner menu, with both chefs taking turns in presenting each course.

White Truffles and Company

A few weeks ago we were back at Neighborhood for another epic meal. After our meal at Belon in late September, we plotted for another dinner gathering and this casual bistro helmed by our friend and chef David Lai was our choice. And it came right at the prime of the traditional white truffles season so we ended up having a few dishes that were served with the piece of white truffles we picked from Chef David’s stash which he got from his supplier regularly.

Quick Stay at Palace

In between two excellent meals at two separate Wynn properties in Macau the kind hotel PR team put us in a suite at Wynn Palace on the Cotai side. We have visited the hotel briefly previously but this is the first time we were staying there.

Tan Lunch at Golden Flower

The next day after our dinner at Wing Lei Palace we went across the bridge back to Macau Peninsula for lunch at Wynn Macau’s Golden Flower (京花軒), another restaurant by the same group. But unlike Wing Lei Palace which put more focus on Cantonese cuisine, Golden Flower specializes in Tan Cuisine (譚家菜), a cross-regional style of cooking combining Northern and Southern Chinese cuisines with an imperial touch given its root from a high scholar family in the Qing Dynasty Imperial Court some centuries ago.

Cantonese Dinner at Wynn Palace

We made our way to yet another Macau trip this time mainly for a single reason, that is to have dinner at Wing Lei Palace, where Chef Tam Kwok-fung (formerly of Jade Dragon at City of Dreams Macau) has moved across and took the helm at the kitchen there a few months ago. We left office on the dot, hopped on to the Macau-bound ferry and made it to Wynn Palace hotel right on time for our late dinner.

Snake Soup and Much More...

If I really need to find one reason to join the recent dinner at Cuisine Cuisine hosted by the PR team of Mira Dining (not that it’s really necessary), that would be for the rare opportunity to try Chef Lee Yuk Lam’s famous snake soup. Chef Lee (李煜霖師傅), or Lam-gor as some people affectionately call him since his days of being a resident chef for the rich and famous and also at a hidden speakeasy, is known for his preparation of fine-dining Cantonese dishes, and among them, the Imperial Scholar Snake Soup. It’s often said he’s one of the few chefs who mastered the art of making the most true-to-tradition version of this dish, which is popular among locals during the colder season.

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.