V&T Daily
The latest travel news
|
|
hong kong hot list
By Nick Walton.
Published in the January-March 2012 issue.
From night markets to nightclubs, street-side vendors to smart lounges, Hong Kong has something for every tastebud. Here, the brightest – and newest – places to eat and drink when you visit the Pearl of the Orient.
A steady stream of travellers come to Hong Kong solely to eat, and with good reason – the city offers a diverse array of regional and international cuisines, and new restaurants and bars open on a daily basis.
The Kowloon district has seen one of the city’s most rapid culinary expansions, with gourmet restaurants and boutique bars opening from Tsim Sha Tsui to Mongkok. If you’re feeling peckish, be sure to try Nanhai No. 1, awarded its first Michelin star in late 2010 (and again in 2011). Contemporary Chinese cuisine is served in the sleekly outfitted dining room, while well-mixed cocktails and shimmering city views steal the show at alfresco sister establishment Eyebar, also set on the 30th floor.
Offering similarly stunning views is Al Molo, located waterside at the Ocean Terminal. The newest establishment by hospitality group Dining Concepts, which has dozens of eateries under its belt, the Italian-style restaurant owes its early success to consulting celebrity chef Michael White. Originally from New York, White takes traditional dishes and jazzes them up with contemporary touches – expect great antipasto, pizzas fresh from the wood-fired oven, alfresco seating and one of the best wine lists in Kowloon.
Always a foodie paradise, Hong Kong Island has enjoyed a similarly exciting spate of restaurant and bar openings – many of them on Wyndham Street – over the past year, while Lan Kwai Fong, the traditional home of clubs and bars in Central, undergoes a dramatic facelift.
Start your evening with an aperitif at Le Boudoir, a new cocktail mecca hidden below Wyndham Street. Descend red-velvet-lined stairs into the intimate bar, decked out with gilded picture frames, burgundy wallpaper and plush, velvet-upholstered bar stools. The emphasis of head bartender Max Traverse’s cocktail menu is on unique spirits, plus a bit of cocktail heritage and a tribute to the classics.
Another great spot for a drink before dinner is Rayne, newly opened in the heart of Wyndham Street. Slick and sexy, Rayne will draw you in with its semi-alfresco seating and good-looking clientele; you’ll stay for the sensual interiors, created by Nude Designs, and innovative cocktails by well-known mixologist Alexandre Chatte.
One of Hong Kong’s best collections of single-malt whiskies can be found at Angel’s Share, a bar on Hollywood Road named for the two percent of spirit that’s lost from the whisky barrel through evaporation. With drops sourced from Speyside to Islay, Japan to North America, the lounge offers a comprehensive menu of comfort food, tapas and platters, as well as a new cocktail list of molecular marvels created by local bartender Antonio Lai.
It’s hard to look past Lily, set on the sixth floor directly above its sister establishment, Bloom. Reminiscent of a prohibition-era saloon, Lily employs some of the city’s best mixologists and is a place where the classics – including a fantastic Old-Fashioned made from 23-year-old Zacapa Guatemalan rum – are heralded. Combine the cocktail list with deep booths, a bar menu featuring dishes such as deep-fried quail on corn bread, and a “secret” private dining room called the Blind Pig that’s home to an enviable selection of Cuban cigars, and you’ll never want to leave.
But leave you must because Gold, the latest outlet from famed New York chef Harlan Goldstein, has opened downstairs. Offering rich mod-European cuisine and thick-cut U.S. steaks, Gold features lounge-like interiors by Kinney Chan and Associates, including a captivating chocolate-swirl ceiling and a spacious terrace that comes with sofas and bar stools overlooking the street. The menu – try the Hokkaido scallop carpaccio with French black truffles and a slow-cooked, organic egg – is complemented by a long wine list boasting some exquisite (and expensive) drops, including a rare Henri Jayer Richebourg Grand Cru for HK$380,000 (AU$49,959).
Located in the luxurious L Place complex on Queen’s Road, Central, Shore is reinventing itself just one year after throwing open its doors. Serving up tasty meals and trendy cocktails, the establishment features a spacious terrace with yurt-like VIP cabanas, an underwater-themed cocktail lounge, and a lavishly furnished dining room. Opened by industry stalwarts Mark Cholewka and Cathal Kiely, it attracts a diverse crowd with well-mixed drinks and quality steaks and seafood – the buttered lobster with chardonnay risotto and the citrus-cured New Zealand salmon served with grapefruit are popular orders.
In the Soho district, La Marmite has fast become a local favourite thanks to its affordable, innovative French dishes and airy interiors. The latest opening for the Aqua restaurant group, La Marmite is a decidedly local move for the owners of some of the city’s most iconic – and well-touristed – eateries. Located on a quiet corner of Staunton Street, La Marmite offers unpretentious bistro fare at reasonable prices, including a moreish crème brûlée foie gras, whiting with caramelised caper butter, and a rich rabbit-and-foie-gras pie flavoured with old port.
If you want to hit the town after dinner, you’re in the right spot. Within easy walking distance of La Marmite is Hyde, a split-level club and lounge that opened recently on Lyndhurst Terrace. There’s a suitably dimly-lit nightclub downstairs, with a dancefloor and semi-private rooms, and an industrial-chic lounge, pool tables and an outdoor terrace upstairs. Arrive well before 10 p.m. or be prepared to queue, because Hyde – with its stylish interiors, celebrity attendees and international DJs – is already one of the hottest venues in the city.
Lan Kwai Fong may have been out of the spotlight lately but it’s not gone – a little slice of luxe Las Vegas recently landed in the district in the form of Likuid. The brainchild of youthful nightclub diva Rachel Geicke, the chic nightspot transforms from lavish cocktail lounge to heaving dance-club over the course of the evening. The club’s sophisticated interiors (like those of Hyde and Shore) were created by Kinney Chan and include large LED screens, deep-set booths and a curvaceous cocktail bar done up in stainless steel and patent leather that winds its way through the venue.
If you’re ending your evening in Kowloon, enjoy a tipple in style at Langham Place’s Tokoro Robatayaki & Whisky Bar. The city’s newest haven for lovers of whisky (and whiskey) boasts more than 80 labels from Scotland, Ireland, the United States and Japan and offers respite from the hubbub of Mongkok. •
Photographs coutesy of respective bars and restaurants.
TRAVEL FACTS
getting there
Cathay Pacific flies from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Hong Kong daily. 131-747; cathaypacific.com
when To Go
The best time to visit Hong Kong is between October and March, when temperatures are relatively cool.
where To Stay
• Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. 852/2588-1234; hongkong.grand.hyatt.com
• Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees. 852/2126-1988; harbour-plaza.com
• Hong Kong-Golden Mile. 852/2369-31111; holidayinn.com
• JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong. 852/2845-0737; marriott.com
• The Langham Hong Kong. 852/2375-1133; hongkong.langhamhotels.com
• The Mira Hong Kong. 852/2368-1111; themirahotel.com
• The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. 852/2263-2263; ritzcarlton.com
where To Eat & Drink
• Al Molo Ristorante Italiano. Shop G63, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; 852/2730-7900; diningconcepts.com.hk
• Angel’s Share Whisky Bar + Restaurant. 2/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Rd., Central; 852/2805-8388; angelsshare.hk
• Gold. L2, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2869-9986; gold-dining.com
• Hyde. 2-3/F, Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Tce., Central; 852/2522-2186; hyde.hk
• La Marmite. 46 Staunton St., Soho, Central; 852/2803-7808; aqua.com.hk
• Le Boudoir. Basement, 65 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2530-3870.
• Lily & Bloom. 5-6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2810-6166.
• Likuid. 58-62 D’Aguilar St., Lan Kwai Fong, Central; 852/2179-5552; likuidhk.com
• Nanhai No. 1. L30, iSquare, 63 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui; 852/2487-3688; elite-concepts.com
• Rayne. G/F, Shop F, Yu Yuet Lai Building, 43-55 Wyndham St., Central; 852/2840-2955.
• Shore. 3-4F, The L Place, 139 Queen Rd., Central; 852/2915-1638; shore.com.hk
• Tokoro Robatayaki & Whisky Bar at Langham Place, Mongkok. 555 Shanghai St., Mongkok, Kowloon; 852/3552-3388; hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com
further Information
Contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board for additional tips on travelling to the city. 1300-886-610; discoverhongkong.com
|
|
|
V&T Takeoff
Updates from our editors and writers
 |
The team from the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau were in town last week to update Australia on some of the BIG things happening in the Texan state. |
 |
V&T mag dropped into Bali last month and helped the W Retreat & Spa celebrate their 2nd anniversary and what a splash it was. With local and international fashion designers on display, the W Lounge was transformed into a catwalk party zone. 2500 people flowed through the resort late into the night, moving to NYC DJ Sandy Rivera. This was the biggest ticket in Bali for some time and the resorts pulling power is a testament to just how hot this property and international hotel brand actually is.www.vacationsandtravelmag.com/Mca/874/765/3/0/0/#takeoff1 How did we cope the next day? Poolside. Don’t wait until their 3rd anniversary as the vibe, sound and style of this resort makes for a very cool holiday. In the heart of Seminyak and right on the beach, Bali beckons. |
 |
Thanks to our friends at Air France we got out of the office for the day and enjoyed a great round of golf at the annual Financial Markets Charity Golf Day and Gala Dinner. Held annually in February, this event as well as the Financial and Media Markets Charity Sailing Regatta in October raises AU$1.2 million for a wide range of charities.The ASX Group and Thomson Reuters Australia (formerly Reuters) joined forces in 1999 to form a Charity Foundation with the objective of helping Australian-based children, disability and medical research charities by organising fundraising events in conjunction with the Financial Markets. Pictured here: Thomas Reeves Air France, Middle, Patrick Benhamou, Atout France; Anthony Gallagher Vacations & Travel magazine. |
 |
Vacations & Travel magazine rubbed shoulders with local and international buyers and sellers of travel from around the globe at 2013 AIME (Asia Pacific's Incentive Meeting Expo). This is the biggest event on the Australian travel industry calendar, where key decision makers congregate to network over a three-day event of hosted parties, trade and leisure travel meetings and press conferences. |
 |
The who's who of Sydney's entertainment industry turned up for the recent opening of the city's newest hotel to receive a makeover, The Parkroyal. Located in Darling Harbour, the property has just emerged from a milt million-dollar makeover to reveal striking rooms and seriously sexy public spaces. Speaking of sexy, some of the celebs on hand to celebrate the re-launch included Casey Burgess, Danielle Blakey and Amy Milne, not to mention Timomatic who entertained the crowds into the witching hours… |
 |
 |
|
