Hong Kong always inspires the opinionated zeal: staying in Central or TST has always been THE most important question. The fashionable set prefers the Rosewood Hong Kong or the Upper House for a glance of glam and skips the Central issue. The discerning hotel junkies rave about the stunning harbour view of the Four Seasons Hong Kong or simply stay in the Murray building. Back to the question, I have chosen to reside close to the stature square since 2010s, my address can only be the peerless Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, the exceptional grande-dame on the island.
China's thousands of years of history have nurtured a diverse and beautiful cultural treasure. With the refinement of Chinese cuisine, the catering industry is stillexploring how to present Chinese aesthetic, which cannot be achieved fortnight and for some people, it is a lifelong endeavour. This year's newly-awarded Michelin one-star Sichuan cuisine restaurant in Guangzhou – Yong – is a pioneer in this regard. In its first year of operation, Yong has not only developed its own style but also created a memorable dining space where Chinese culture is perfectly interpreted through the art of food.
fter three years of anticipation, The Chairman and 102 House once again joined forces in Shanghai at the end of this August, marking their third collaboration. The first time was at The Chairman in Hong Kong, the second at Den in Tokyo, and this time at 102 House Shanghai with the theme of Huangpu River-inspired Cantonese Flair.
The inaugural world’s 50 best hotel list surely results in frenzy among hoteliers and luxurious experience fanatics despite the wanting of novelty in view. The palpable optimism in Guildhall to celebrate the growth of post-COVID hospitality industry in mid-September will surely continue for some while. Yet the true impact of this collective, and formative collage of accommodations elected by critiques remains uncertain.
If Disfrutar is the pioneer of modern Spanish cuisine, bold, avant-garde and experimental, then Compartir, which means "to share" in Catalan, allows the chefs to set aside their focus on innovation and use modern techniques to trace back to traditional Spanish cuisine. Each dish is served à la carte, encouraging people to share and leisurely savor the culinary artistry of the three chefs. What remains unchanged is Compartir's equally high standards for excellence.
Kuwakino feels closely connected to the land she treads on. For her, the pleasure of being able to pick up ingredients right from her own garden and cook them herself is unrivalled. "If I lived in the city, none of this would happen," she shares. Her farm-to-table philosophy is not just a popular style of cooking, but an emotional and philosophical approach to food.
This journey was undertaken to attend the World's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony in Valencia, Spain. In the scorching heat of June, I drove through the remote town of Denia, heading towards the hidden gem of a Michelin three-star restaurant - "Quique Dacosta." After an one hour journey, all fatigue vanished as I beheld the scenery and anticipated the forthcoming gastronomic delights.
I rarely use the word "legendary" to describe a restaurant, as it carries a heavy weight. However, the three-star Michelin restaurant El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, can certainly wear this crown.
The opening of Bulgari Hotel is a major highlight in Tokyo after the pandemic. Not only is it the first Bulgari hotel in Japan but also the 8th ‘gem’ of the Bulgari Hotel & Resorts Collection. Occupying from the 40th to the 45th floor of the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, an ultra-skyscraper in the Yaesu 2-Chome North District, the hotel overlooks the quiet premises, fascinating history and natural environment of the lmperial Palace Gardens. From a distance, the red brick Tokyo Station and the glass-curtain building behind it may seem juxtaposed, but Bulgari Hotel seamlessly blends the fusion of Japanese traditional cultural aesthetics. It is at this moment that I visited Tokyo once again.
An advocate of sustainable business for many years, three-starred Italian chef Norbert Niederkofler has been living his Cook the Mountain beliefs and promoting them through various events. Now his followers are also practising the philosophy of cooking with nature at the mountain tops of the Dolomites along the Italian-Austrian borders.