Clubhouse Dinner Ep 1 - Classic Cantonese

HKUAA (Hong Kong University Alumni Association) Restaurant remained one of the most approachable "members-only" dining establishments that offered more-than-decent and reasonably priced food in town. We went there for dinner a few weeks ago, haven't been back for a year or so because of pandemic.

Italian Hospitality

Two weeks ago I was invited to the “unofficial” opening night of Casa Certa, the new office/warehouse/showroom of the Italian food and wine purveyor Certa. Over the years (for the common love of food and wine) I became friends with Certa’s founder Keti and got to enjoy many of the fine products they carry either in the restaurants or at home (wines, oils and vinegars, in particular), and while they may not be a household name to most, they have been supplying to some of the top Italian chefs and restaurants in town and had an online shop for occasional home cooks like myself. 

Onion Crossover

The other day I took the afternoon off from work to join a few friends on a champagne “run”… to be exact, a Krug run when we went from places to places drinking and eating. It’s part of their annual (and now global) campaign by the champagne house working with a few chefs in town (as Krug Ambassadors) to each create an unique dish with a common ingredient theme, to go with their champagne, that goes without saying. This year that ingredient is Onion, and I am glad to go along with a group of friends to visit some of those chefs and checking out some of those dishes (and more).

Rational Choice

It could be because I have been missing traveling too much, but the décor at Radical Chic up on the top floors of ICC reminded me of the legendary Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan that we went some years ago, with the “scarily bright”, aesthetic white wall with eccentric mix of artwork hanging around and the spacious, minimalist dining area. I had that feeling the moment I stepped into the restaurant after riding up the elevator to Level 101 of the building, and turned out the style of cooking was similar too, with Chef Andrea Tarini taking on traditional Italian cooking with a contemporary touch. 

Cha Cha Cha

In Hong Kong's standard where restaurants were short-lived and culinary scene keep changing by the minute, it's not far-fetched to call Chachawan an "institution", having been around for quite a few years and being one of the first trendy, finer Southeast Asian restaurants in town . This cozy eatery on Hollywood Road has attracted quite a following with its focus on Isaan cuisine from the northern part of the country known for its spicy, rich flavor. 

Cuisine from the East

We came to learn more about Chef Samaira's food for the first time at a pop-up event last year, and since then, have seen this home chef turned professional bloomed with a few more popular cooking events under her belt. Recently I was invited to try her food again, at her latest gig at Tatler Dining Kitchen, where she presented a refined East Indian menu with champagne pairing by Perrier-Jouet. 

Bistro on West Side

"Why bother scrambling for a table at Batard when Bistro du Vin is just as good?" said a friend of mine on IG recently. Sour grapes as that might sound with a table at Batard now being the most sought-after in town (good luck trying!), but it's true that Bistro du Vin under the same group was not bad an alternative when all you want is a casual get-together for food and wine in a neighborhood bistro. 

Rare Weekday Lunch in Town

I took advantage of my rare weekday appearance on the island side of town to eat at One Harbour Road at the Grand Hyatt. It wasn't that long ago since my last visit but they recently went through some renovation and re-opened with some slight changes in decor and table setting. 

Just Don't Use the G Word

I won't necessarily call this "glamping" per se as I didn't see the glam part, but rather a sleepover in a simple caravan parked on a lawn, when a group of friends spent a night near Kam Tin at a "campsite" called Park Nature a couple of months ago during the July 1 long weekend. 

Spoiled by Chef

We felt we are always spoiled by Chef Agustin and his team at Ando whenever we dined there, with the only problem being getting a table at this busy restaurant is becoming increasingly challenging. Well, we managed to get a lunch booking a few weeks ago - just the two of us on a Saturday for no particular occasion. We opted for the shorter of the two set menus available for lunch service (bearing in mind we had an early dinner planned) but at the end, we had a few additional dishes on top of that and we were properly stuffed.

Downstairs Then Upstairs

Margo turned out to be much cozier than I thought as I walked in through the trendy, grand-looking entrance on Ice House Street, especially when the few of us snuggled around one of the few small tables in the dining room. There were actually 2 difference F&B venues under the same roof, Margo which was branded as an "intimate brasserie-style European restaurant", and Kyle & Bain, with the name being a reference to the history of its address Ice House Street, a Martini-centric bar tugged on the mezzanine level upstairs, both of which we were invited to check out.