Clik here to view.
Valentine's preview
I received an invitation to join a "media lunch" scheduled for today, St. Valentine's Day. Chef Umberto Bombana opened a so-called "private kitchen" last year, and Octavium was so private that they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lunar New Year puddings: 2018 hodgepodge
Having been banished from Taipei this lunar new year season, I actually haven't gotten around to buying a single traditional pudding for the holidays. Thankfully I still ended up with a few different...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lunar new year French
It's been a few months since we last caught up with Mr Cane and his wife, and since we were staying in town for the lunar new year holidays (no, it's not "Chinese new year" in my book), we figured this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
9 up for lunch
It's the first day of the year of the dog where all of us are in the office, so naturally we decided to have ourselves a team lunch. The boys weren't gonna go for another round at the local Tsui Wah...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aussie night
After our last successful outing a few months ago, it was time to get together with my friends over some Aussie wines. While the main goal of our last dinner was to introduce Hello Kitty to my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
No gold foil for me
A few months after my less-than-complimentary comments on an invitational meal at HAKU, I am surprised to find myself once again seated at its L-shaped counter. I was once again invited to a media...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cantonese dinner with French ending
A couple of friends were in town for the weekend. We last saw them during our temple stay at Baekyangsa Temple (白羊寺) in Korea, and we figured we would catch up for dinner tonight. No prizes for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Le "steak sandwich"
I'm in Macau again for the annual conference, and once again I have chosen not to dine with the other conference delegates, instead venturing out on my own. I hadn't shown much love for restaurants...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pizza fight: sausage edition
So... there are a few more rounds of chefs vs. food media battles in the The Great Pizza Bake Off. I supported a friend during one of those rounds last year, and this time around I'm here to support...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bday in Macau: dim sum menagerie, part 2
It's My Birdbrain Favorite Cousin's birthday, and I decided to organize a weekend of wine and dine for her. We would revisit 3 of the best restaurants in Macau and get pampered the whole time. And to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bday in Macau: suckling pig maki
A few hours after we kicked off the weekend with a delicious lunch, and after the ladies had finished their spa session, it was time for dinner. For this we would pay a visit to Chef Tam Kwok Fung...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bday in Macau: no more Bordier
After a reasonable night's sleep for once, we got up and went out for our morning rounds. Knowing what was to come once we sat down for lunch, we wanted just enough nourishment to keep the hunger...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A tale of two livers
Following an epic wine dinner last year, a few of us decided to get together to catch up. After rescheduling a few times due to conflicts (it's surprising how tough it is for 4 people to find a date...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eating with chefs: that Cronut guy
It's been almost 8 years since I first met Dominique Ansel in Hong Kong. At the time he was still in the kitchen of Daniel, and we showed him some classic Cantonese cooking before going off to do a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Buried by the wave
No Fish is back in town for a few days, and I was glad to have a chance to catch up with her. It's been a while since we were both at Ronin, so it seemed like a good opportunity to revisit. I also...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pure, simple, seasonal
We finally caught up with Babu again after a couple of months, after serving her some of my expired beluga caviar back in January. I only have a handful of restaurants where I'd like to take her, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Earth Hour 2018 - my 10th year
It's Earth Hour again, and once again Hello Kitty and I planned on participating in this global effort to raise awareness about doing something to help save our planet. After attending a cocktail...
View ArticleClik here to view.
(Gre)GohGanDen
I'm back in Macau on a day-trip (my fifth trip in 2018) for a very special lunch. Ahead of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards in Bangkok last year, I attended the first four-hands collaboration...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The clarity of the wave
After a day in the office, I'm back in Macau again for 2 days to join the festivities for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. As the event is held at Wynn Palace in Macau, the official venue sponsor was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2018
After donning my brand-spanking-new penguin outfit (the invitation specified "black tie or cocktail"), I strolled downstairs to the pool deck of Wynn Palace, got my wristband at the media check-in...
View Article