New Smokehouse in Town

I came to Henry at Rosewood Hong Kong with a lot of expectations when I was invited for a dinner tasting there just a few weeks ago.. A proper steakhouse was few and far between in Hong Kong, especially if I started counting out those with style but no substance. With the hotel owner eager to please and spare no expense in doing so, and with Chef Nate Green, which came with a reputation for being a grill expert from his days at Rhoda, at the helm, there's every reason to be hopeful.

Brunch at a Corner Beer Joint

Hong Kong summer is not the perfect place nor perfect time to enjoy eating in the outdoors, but Blue Supreme at a quiet street corner in Sheung Wan (near Noho area) did make it somewhat more comfortable with its window-side table opening up to the street with plenty cool air blowing from the a/c unit behind. It’s a restaurant I heard good things about and always wanted to try, so we dropped by a few Sunday ago just when they began serving brunch menu on weekends.

Gen Creative

We followed our friend and fellow Instagrammer deeseebeaucoup's IG post and booked for dinner at this casual Taiwanese restaurant called Gen Creative. This 2-year-old restaurant was often mentioned as one of those new establishments following the latest trend of combining western cuisine with local ingredients.

Reminiscent of Yester-year

I felt like going back to the college days when I walked into Morty's Deli in Wanchai with the familiar American diner décor and 90's and 00's music playing in the background. I walked by the restaurant a few times before but this is only my first visit - this time at the invitation of the restaurant and their PR team.

The New but Familiar One

I know what some of you might be thinking… Cheesecake Factory, really? Yeah, there’s really nothing much to blog about the food at this mainstream restaurant chain except the wide selection of delicious cheesecakes and a few other dishes, but the place always has a special place in our hearts. (I know that’s the cheesy way to put it – pun intended) So we were excited that the restaurant finally made its way to this side of the coast with its first outlet right in the heart of Hong Kong inside Harbour City TST.

Steak and Cocktail Night

Last week I was treated to a steak dinner with cocktail pairings at Morton's at Sheraton in TST. I know, steakhouses sounded like something of an item only in yester-year, where my parents' generation would go for a big celebration of some sort, but to me, there is still this special charm about dining in a classic, American-style steakhouse, completed with clubby decor, leather booths, slow, jazzy music in the background, generous portion of food, and gracious service.

Long Table Brunch at Restoration

I was organizing a "mini" high school reunion/gathering of sorts with a few last month, but these days, with spouses and toddlers and children in the picture, that has suddenly became a meal for 20 people. I was looking for a venue that is convenient to all, where adults can chillax while children can hang around comfortably on a Sunday afternoon. At the end I decided on Restoration on Wyndham Street, one of the few restaurants in town specialized in Creole food, partly because I had an enjoyable dinner there a few months back and the place seems to fit the criteria.

Home-style Hash - a hearty, one-pot meal

There are times I would challenge myself to cook an elaborate, multi-course meal at home, and there are times I just want to do something simple. Last weekend definitely belonged to the latter category. I was late coming back from a furniture shopping trip at Horizons Plaza on Saturday (okay, I did pick up a few clothes along the way too) so I picked up just a few items from the grocery stores in the same building and did something quick and easy.

An American in Burgundy - Domaine Dublere Wine Dinner

We love winemaker dinners. First and foremost, often it represents great value for money with the amount of wines they serve and also for some of the rarer finds from the winemaker's own collection that they sometimes bring along. And second, just like how people enjoyed reading the director's interview about making of a movie, we like hearing stories from the winemakers themselves on the philosophy of their winery, what they do with their grapes and their wines and to feel their passions and pride in the wines they made. That's much better than any critics' reviews or marketing campaigns.

Well we went to one last Saturday at the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse. Interesting enough, it's hosted by Blair Pethel, the owner and winemaker of Domaine Dublere, who as an American from North Carolina and a former journalist, somehow made his way to the great land of Burgundy and became a farmer - as he called himself - and founded Domaine Dublere (a Francophone twist of his first name Blair) about 10 years ago. Turned out Blair was also a fellow Washingtonian - spending a good amount of time in the capital during the Clinton Administration as a political journalist - and we went to the same school (he did his graduate degree and I did my undergraduate's - but at different time). What an interesting coincidence!