Culture Walk - Yaumatei

I played tourist for one Saturday morning and signed up for the Culture Walk event down the memory lane in the old Yaumatei. This was part of Hong Kong Arts Festival program and during this 2 hour walking tour, the curator gave us - a group of around 10 - a brief introduction of Cantonese opera development in Hong Kong through various spots around the legendary Yaumatei neighborhood.

Sunday at the Spoon

Last weekend I was invited to try out the new Sunday brunch menu at Spoon at Intercontinental Hong Kong. I have to admit it's been a *long* while since I last set foot in this Michelin-starred outpost by Alain Ducasse - somehow it just slipped off our mind for no particular reason.

We were seated in the middle of the dining area, with gorgeous window view of the skyline behind us and most importantly, easy access to the buffet tables. We certainly picked the right day to enjoy an unobstructed view of the harbor in this perfect weather. I was told they did a little revamp of the Sunday brunch offering recently (hence this invitation for tasting). Now they have an even wider food selection and re-arranged the setup as well with the desserts no longer stationed behind the pastry kitchen but were brought back to the front.

Chinese New Year Celebration at Chesa

We usually stay away from eating out during the holidays, especially to places that offer any sort of celebration set menu (often an euphemism of overpriced, under-delivered food that was prepared in advanced and in bulk by junior staff unwillingly stuck in the kitchen while everyone's away on holiday) But when our friend asked us to join she and her other friends for dinner at Chesa at The Peninsula during Chinese New Year, we went and had a blast - well, literally.

If you ask me to name one local restaurant that's good enough to impress while casual enough for everyday dining, Chesa could be one of those I had in mind. And whether you are a regular customer or an occasional one like us, you always feel like you are treated like royals - something of a rare breed these days, even for many top-notch hotels or restaurants around town.

To be, or not to be - Caprice in 2013

We returned to Caprice for dinner on our final work day before Chinese New Year (and a 5-day super long weekend). Facing difficulties in choosing from many enticing dishes, we decided to "do it all" and went for their tasting menu, as we did the previous times.

Hangzhou Dinner at Man Wah

A group of us converged upon Man Wah recently to preview their upcoming menu featuring signature dishes from the legendary Zhiweiguan Weichuang Restaurant (知味觀味庄) from Hangzhou.

Cuisines from the agriculture rich area of Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces - in which the city of Hangzhou is located - are known for the clever use of many fresh ingredients grown and found in the region, combining with wide variety of cooking techniques - including sauteing, braising and double-boiling - which result in dishes with rich and seasoned flavors.