Bottomless Dimsum

I quite like the idea when Hong Kong Land decided to open Centricity, a dedicated space in one of their commercial buildings (Chater House) completed with meeting space, lounge and F&B outlets exclusively for their tenants and their staff. With space at a premium and there's never enough places for coffee and quick bites in the area, this is certainly a welcoming addition. 

Dish that cannot be named

It's true we often come to Shanghai Fraternity Association for their hairy crab dishes during the fall season, but there are more to that in this private dining club which has become one of the places we visit regularly throughout the year - sometimes it's for many of their simple, home-style Shanghainese dishes which I crave for every now and then, and sometimes for something more elaborate. 

Steak, Frites and Wines

It’s been a while since I returned to eat at AnOther Place, the speakeasy restaurant near Causeway Bay affiliated with Hip Cellar under the same roof, and where some of our wines were stored. The month of May saw another iteration of their operating model of this venture now in its 6th year, geared towards a simpler, more casual bisto-style menu for groups big and small. Of course, wines remained their focus, with the generous BYO policy allowing customers to enjoy their own wines freely with the dishes served. And I also like the view of the Hong Kong skyline on a nice day (and night) from the window of the cozy dining space. 

Fourth time the charm

I confess that I have been to China Tang for more than a few occasions in the last couple of months – thanks to their special promotion of Peking Duck dish. I enjoyed just about any Peking Duck and I did particularly like the one prepared here. So I believe this is already my fourth time when I came back with a few friends in late May. 

Good Old Sunday Roast

Sometimes it's the simplest dishes that made me happy, and this time, it's the good old Sunday roast, appropriately on a Sunday morning. I have enjoyed Chef Cary's traditional British cooking at Gough's on Gough before it closed a few months ago, but we were glad that he brought some of those dishes to his new post at Lobster Bar of Island Shangri-la. 

Lunch at the Museum

While we were staying nearby for the weekend, I felt a visit to the Hong Kong Museum of Art is a must, partly because I have never been back since they re-opened a few months ago after years of renovation (which took almost 4 years thanks to government bureaucracy), shut again in January because of virus outbreak and re-opened only a few weeks ago; and partly because their special exhibition featuring works from Tate was ending in a week. And I only came to realize it’s also the “International Museum Day” weekend, as if we need any more reason to go.

Bemused Kaiseki

While we were in the hood for the weekend we thought we would take the opportunity to explore one of the new restaurants in K11 Musea. Tominokoji Yamagishi is the first overseas branch of the Kyoto-based restaurant of the same name, specializes in kyo-ryori, the formal Kaiseki cuisine rooted in imperial Kyoto.

Dining In

We are spoiled with choices for places to eat at The Rosewood Hong Kong and needless to say, we were well-fed during our 2-night stay at the property.

New branch of an old favorite

New restaurant openings were few and far between this year, with Ming Court Wanchai being one of those exceptions, taking over the space formerly occupied by Yat Tung Heen of the same group (which also operates Tang Court and Ming Court Mongkok, both with Michelin stars). But there's more than just a mere name change and the physical makeover, with the dining area now given a contemporary re-touch completed with a small bar counter near the entrance with a separate snack menu, and plenty of private rooms for functions or formal meals.

Club at the Top

One of the places we spent quite a bit of time at The Rosewood Hong Kong during our staycation weekend was the Manor Club, their version of the Executive Lounge. Taking up half of the top floor on Level 40, the lounge unarguably offered the best view from its terrace that stretches the harbor-side. No wonder it did feel like half of the hotel guests were there hanging out at the terrace to watch the sunset.

Rosy Staycation

With everyone still grounded and likely got nowhere to go through the long summer, we made amend by planning a weekend getaway a few weeks ago at The Rosewood – at least we got to travel across the harbor when travel across the ocean was not an option. Not my first time in the hotel – I was there for dinner at their steakhouse Henry a few months ago – but staying over the weekend let me explore a lot more of the property, its facilities and surroundings.