Eating Hong Kong

Bosue Vineyard 'Cellar Blend' 2008

2010-08-20T13:51:00.013+08:00

St Ewe, Cornwall, £10.50, cork seal

A week in Cornwall and it's time to try a local wine. The Bosue Vineyard lies in the little village of St Ewe, a couple of miles inland from the south coast fishing port of Mevagissey. It's made from a blend of Seyval Blanc, Ortega and Kernling

The label claims this has a 'rose blush', but no it's golden yellow in colour and looks pretty much like a white wine to me. On the nose there's not much to sniff at, though the hints of stone fruit and citrus are pleasant enough. Again the palate is light and lacking punch with peach being the main flavour accompanied by a hint of lemon in the background. This is off dry and benefits the initial touch of sweetness that adds a little weight to what's a pretty thin palate. Bosue Vineyard 'Cellar Blend' 2008 is pleasant enough, but really does lack intensity and interest.

Visit winery website.

Making Pasties

2010-08-19T21:57:00.012+08:00

Homemade Pasties
18th August 2010

After Germany it was time to visit my mother's family in Cornwall. This was Joey's first visit to this spectacular part of the world and I wanted to ensure she got a good impression and for me a big part of visiting Cornwall is getting stuck into the local delicacies; Cornish pasties. My cousin's husband, a good Cornish lad, stepped up and volunteered to show us his handy work and whip up some homemade pasties.An action shot of Matt rolling out the homemade pastry.First in goes the onion, swede and potato; then it's chunks of Cornish beef.
The finished packages of goodness; absolutely superb.

Snap Shot Germany

2010-08-16T21:55:00.025+08:00

Visit to Germany
9th to 15th August 2010

Joey and I had a fantastic week in Germany. We caught up with friends, brushed with history at every turn, soaked up the spectacular beauty of the Bavarian Alps and just ate a lot of pork.
First stop was Munich a fun city with plenty to see and plenty of beer. Here we have the Marienplatz, the old town square and centre of town; the highly decorated facade of the Neues Rathaus towers over the shinny topped Mariensaule.
The Neues Rathaus's three levelled Glockenspiel comes alive and the little men dance.
Munich's massive Englischer Garten or English garden's; a least a couple of those basking in the sun were clothed.
A big beer at the big Hofbräuhaus; Munich's most well know (and well visited) beer hall.
We went on a tour to and check out the Swan Boy - King Ludwig II's - fairytale castles and Linderhof above was my favourite. I preferred its spectacular grounds and detailed rooms to all the showy glitz of Neuschwanstein.
It was hard to snap a good picture of Schloss Neuschwanstein, but the view of the surrounding mountains (with glimpse of the Schloss Hohenschwangau) was sure spectacular.
Next stop was charming Nuremburg.
While not particularly photographic the Reichsparteitagsgelände was certainly worth visiting for an insightful, yet shocking look at its role as a centre of Nazi propaganda in the Documentation Centre.
Nuremburg's market and just look at those tasty chanterelles.

Snap Shot Wurst

2010-08-16T21:50:00.022+08:00

Eating Germany
9th to 15th August 2010

Germany is an under-rated tourist destination; spectacular landscapes, vibrant cities, a rich history, a great music and arts scene, a plethora of beer, some of the World's best white wines and the food, well the food is... . A week in Germany is enough to turn off even the biggest devotees of roast pork, but aside from the knuckles, sauerkraut and kartoffelklösse Germany is also the land of the sausage. My motto is "a sausage a day is the German way".
Mmm, tasty stuff to start; the classic Bratwurst.
Grilled not boiled; Bockwurst at its best.
Doubling up; a delicious pair of bratwurst.
OK so it's not technically a sausage, but it's still pork in bread. A rather tasty roasted cured pork roll; a speciality of Munich.
They're little but there're three of them. The Nuernberger; a trio of grilled Nuremberg sausages, a speciality of, well Nuremburg obviously.
The sausage was good; the view in the background is the streets of Nuremburg.
Currywurst; I'm normally a fan but this one was pretty uninspiring. The sauce was too sweet and the sausage dry and overcooked.

Königschaffhausen Scheurebe Auslese 2007

2010-08-15T19:38:00.015+08:00

Baden, €16 for 375ml, cork

My friend’s been in Germany for well over a year and her boss decided that her education in local culture somehow required indoctrination in classic 80s movies. To say I was excited when she handed me a pile that included the Alien series and this absolute-classic-one-of-the-best-movies-ever-even-though-white-sneakers-with jeans-aren’t-cool-but-Queen’s-soundtrack-certainly-is-man-this-ruled-my-childhood, would be an understatement. So after dinner and a bottle of Dornfelder we all settled down with Highlander and a bottle of Auslese Scheurebe. I’ve never tried Scheurebe before, but from what I can gather, it was originally thought to be a cross between Riesling and Silvaner, but is considered a cross between Riesling and a mysterious wild vine. The wine’s made by a co-op that is actually called Winzergenossenschaft Königschaffhausen, but that's just too long and silly to fit into the title of a blog post.

It’s an Auslese wine, it’s 9.5% alcohol and of course it’s a lovely deep golden colour. This smells of the rot, with botrytis inspired apricots, dried tangerine peel and marmalade aromas alongside the dominant smell of honey. On the palate there’s honey again, but taste wise this is all about apricots. Sure this is sweet, but it’s well balanced with noticeable acidity that does a lot to keep things fresh and lively. Königschaffhausen Scheurebe Auslese 2007 is a nice wine, it’s well made and tasty, though it lacks the complexity to be really engaging. There can be only one!

Georg Gustav Huff Dornfelder 2008

2010-08-15T08:33:00.017+08:00

Nierstein-Schwabsburg, Rheihessen, €14.50, cork

Day number six of a weeklong visit to Germany and it's been a non-stop diet of beer and pork, only interrupted by a couple of decent Rieslings and a certain evening that involved a bucket load of mojitos (don't ask). Tonight Joey and I are having dinner at a friend's home, and apart for the chance to eat something other than roasted pig, it's also an opportunity try a few different German wines. Georg Gustav Huff Dornfelder 2008 is bright, vibrant and a distinctly, plummy purple colour. I was honestly surprised by how exotic and complex this smelt. There’re aromas of cherries, plums, spicy Christmas cake and a sniff of Morocco; not sure why I said Morocco, but I think this kind of smells a little like sandalwood. There’s also a distinct whiff of blueberry bubblegum that reminds me of Pinotage. On the palate there's black fruit and spice, along with an obvious lick of oak that adds a creamy, richness. This is a well crafted wine with a smattering of tannin, no noticeable alcohol and decent length. In a blind tasting I would never pick this for German; the weight and richness of it surprised me. Georg Gustav Huff Dornfelder 2008 is an interesting, well made wine, and while it's perhaps a touch too rich for my taste, the quality can't be denied.

Visit German only website.

Snap Shot Norway

2010-08-05T21:56:00.014+08:00

Visit to Norway
23rd July to 5th August 2010

I loved Norway, what else is there to say? The chance to camp, fish and hike in such a beautiful country was the perfect antidote to life in Hong Kong.
After leaving Bergen I took a train north to UNESCO, World Heritage listed Røros. This tiny, former mining town's buildings are made entirely of wood and I kept expecting to see Hobbits. Røros' mining heritage has been preserved; I enjoyed a ramble over the mullock heaps. From the Lofotens I caught the Hurtigruten Coastal Ferry MS Nordkapp north to the Arctic city of Tromsø.
Tromsø itself is a fun and relaxed city, with interesting museums, good food and (like much of Norway) spectacular views.
Tromsø's spectacular Arctic Cathedral glistening in the sunlight.
I arrived in Oslo in the evening with just enough time for a stroll down to the Royal Palace.
A short ferry ride from central Oslo is the Bygdøy Peninsula, a suburban area that just happens to be packed with awesome museums. Seeing Thor Heyerdahl's original raft at the Kon-Tiki Museum was a highlight as was a visit to the enthralling Viking Ship Museum.
The view downtown from Akershus Fortress; Oslo still very much a maritime city.

Emmas Drømmekjøkken

2010-08-04T07:18:00.022+08:00

8 Kirkegata, Tromsø, Norway
Visited 3rd August 2010
Norway is spectacular, but Norway is expensive. Camping, nights sleeping on ferries and trains and a diet of fruit and sandwiches (though sandwiches packed with reindeer salami I might add) all helped to make my trip that little bit more financially feasible. During my two weeks in Norway I only ate at three restaurants, basically because that’s all the budget could handle. Anyway the previous day I’d celebrated my birthday with a couple of pints and a sleep on a sofa of the Hurtigruten coastal ferry. Back on dry land and in the Northern city of Tromsø I decided it was time to treat myself to dinner and splurged at Emmas Drømmekjøkken or 'Emma's Dream Kitchen' as it translates. The cute little restaurant is located opposite Tromsø's unique wooden Cathedral.

The influence of local, fresh produce is obvious across Norway (well at least during the summer) and the menu at Emmas Drømmekjøkken featured plenty of it. I started with a lamb and feta salad. Lettuce, asparagus and vodka poached tomatoes were topped with crumbly feta and locally cured lamb. The freshness of the greens nicely complimented the gamy lamb, however my only grip was that he vodka poached tomatoes were flavourless and kind of weird. The previous week on the Lofotens I'd caught a fair few Char so couldn’t resist indulging in a dish of this Arctic salmonoid. Poached until tender the fillet of fish was accompanied by a creamy basil sauce, asparagus and new potatoes. Simple and honest; the reason I loved this dish was the quality of the delicious Char. To drink they matched a couple of glasses of wine to my meal; the first was an OK Italian white, but the Loire Chenin Blanc that was poured with the Char was fantastic. It was a perfect match; delicious and with just a touch of sweetness to complement the richness of the fish.

Maybe I just needed a bit of civilization, but I walked away from dinner at Emmas Drømmekjøkken a satisfied man. The food was excellent – well prepared and made with what were obviously quality ingredients. The staff were knowledge, friendly and more than happy for a chat whether it was about fishing or wine. Value is a matter of perception and while I honestly can’t remember what my meal cost (maybe I’m just blocking it out), whatever it was it was worth it. If you're ever lucky enough to be visiting Tromsø definitely pop into Emmas Drømmekjøkken for a feed. Visit restaurant website.

Snap Shot Lofoten

2010-08-03T21:57:00.019+08:00

Visit to Lofoten Islands
28th July to 2nd August 2010

The nearly 40 hours of travel it took me to get to the Lofoten Islands was certainly worth it. This archipelago off the coast of Nordland and within the Arctic Circle has to be one of the most gorgeous places I've ever visited. The views of red tinted fishing villages perched where steep, lofty cliffs meat a tumbling ocean are truly spectacular. My days were filled with hiking, cycling and fishing and my memories of Lofoten are nothing but positive.
First stop was the Lofoten's southern most town; the spectacular Å on the island of Moskenesøy.Home for a few nights.
Looking south towards the steep cliffs of Værøy.
Fishing from a charter can at times have its rewards; I was pretty happy with this decent Pollock.
Norway seems to have no shortage of gulls.
On my final day at I walked up to the pass above my camp for some spectacular views. Å is at the far end of the lake, my camp lost in the cliffs below.
After Å I moved to the island of Flakstadøya for a couple of nights camping at Ramberg.
A definite highlight was a cycle to the tiny village of Nusfjord.
Not sure if this fellow is a Norway native, but he's sure cute.The stave church at Flakstad.

Snap Shot Bergen

2010-07-26T14:29:00.011+08:00

Visit to Bergen
23rd to 25th July 2010

OK enough of the sitting around eating and drinking in London, it's adventure time. This summer my first stop was Norway; the winner of my internal 'where do I want to most visit battle'. I was joined for the first part my brother and his girlfriend and we had a thoroughly enjoyable weekend exploring Bergen.
The distinctive old buildings of the Hanseatic wharf.
On our first day we took a Norway in a Nutshell tour; an accessible way to soak up Norway's spectacular scenery. Here we have Sognefjord; Norway's largest fjord.
There were plenty of gulls tailing us on our cruise.
An isolated, but majestic landscape for the villagers perched amongst tSognefjord's steep glacier valleys.
Bergen is Norway's second largest city, yet still maintains its charm.
The view of Bergen after a trip up the Fløibanen funicularMt Fløyen, the hill above Bergen, has plenty of opportunities for walking.
and mushrooms...

G. Kelly

2010-07-23T23:00:00.008+08:00

526 Roman Road, Bow, London
Visited 23rd July 2009

Well I'm certainly having all the authentic London experiences aren't. A visit to Gordon’s Wine Bar and then I stumbled across G. Kelly while looking for fishing tackle near my brother’s place on the Roman Road. This joint is about as traditional as you can get. Apparently the Kelly family started selling eels and pies in 1915 and one of their sons Gordon opened this pie and eel shop at the market on Roman Road in the 1930s. Inside its white and shinny; all tiles and lino, and about as old school as you can get.Ordering at G. Kelly is pretty simple as they sell the same traditional English delicious they’ve been selling for years: pies, sausages and eels, accompanied by mashed potato and either traditional parsley sauce or gravy. I went for a couple of Cumberland sausages with mash, parsley sauce and a sly little pie on the side. The thick sausages were really tasty; meaty and flavoursome. The stupidly big pile of mash was a tad dry, but went down OK when smothered in parsley sauce that was interestingly made with the dried herb rather than fresh. As a good Aussie boy I’ve eaten plenty of pies in my time and the crisp, flaky little package I got a G. Kelly was the best I’ve had in a while. Apart from the excellent pastry it was filled with good quality beef that was nicely seasoned with plenty of pepper. G. Kelly is about as far as you can get from fine dinning, yet there’s something pretty satisfying about a plate overflowing with simple, nourishing food. I really enjoyed both sausages and especially the delicious pie; I enjoyed the retro setting and I enjoyed the prices are seem to be from several generations ago. £2.80 for the sausages and mash and another £1.60 for a beef pie; £4.40 is a bit of a bargain for what was literally an overflowing pile of food. G. Kelly is London as it should be.

Visit restaurant website.

Gordon's Wine Bar

2010-07-22T17:45:00.018+08:00

47 Villiers Street, London
Visited 21st July 2010

I arrived in London on a spectacular sunny afternoon, yet somehow found myself spending this beautiful, balmy evening sitting in a damp, old cellar. Sorry I’m making in sound worse than it is. Established on the present site in 1890, Gordon's is London’s oldest wine bar (and maybe the world's); it is one of the most atmospheric places around. Located between the river and Trafalgar Square, Gordon’s Wine Bar is better the deeper you go. We descended into the original cellar where trestle tables, old barrels and candles are the order of the day.

Booze not food is the priority here, yet amazingly for the UK no beer or spirits are served; it’s a wine only affair. Their selection is decent, and more about drinkability and value rather than rare, old or prestigious labels; which suits me just fine. They also have a good selection of Port, Sherry and Madeira, some even served from barrels. We got into the summer theme and enjoyed a couple of decent bottles of rose; one from Portugal, the other a pleasant Cotes de Provence, before trying the oh so fantastically named Fat Bastard Pinot Noir from the Languedoc. With all vino there’s a need for nourishment and foods not totally forgotten with a selection of cold cuts, cheese and antipasti. We gorged on a plate filled with generous hunks of cheddar, camembert and some tasty parma ham.
I had a fantastic evening at Gordon’s Wine Bar. The setting is one that’s so, so London; historic, old school and once inside difficult to determine what century you’re in. Yet modern wines, international snacks and friendly staff give the whole place an almost modern, vibrant feel. For London, which can very often be the city of big bills, Gordon’s offered pretty fair value; all the wines we drunk were under £20 and our massive plate of nibbles was only £11. I really loved Gordon's Wine Bar; my only complaint is that I didn’t bump into Sherlock Holmes.

Visit restaurant website.

Snap Shot Dubai

2010-07-21T17:42:00.014+08:00

Trip to Dubai
18th to 21st July 2010

Summer holidays and I'm off adventuring in Europe, but first something a little bit different; a couple of days visiting friends in Dubai. This city in the sand is in many ways a place of contrast -raw nature and man-made glitz, wealth and poverty, searing heat and indoor skiing - but it's also surprisingly vibrant, multi-cultural and engaging. Thanks must go to S and F for showing me such a fantastic time.
The first thing I did after arriving was to leave again. The tour I booked of the Hajar Mountains and Hatta was spectacular; awesome scenery and sand dunes aplenty.
A yes, of course there were camels.
Sharks in a shopping centre.Dubai; city of sandcastles. The view 124 stories up from the Burj Khalifa observation deck. Unlike Hong Kong the haze on the horizon isn't pollution, but sandstorms raging out in the desert.
Goods for sale at the atmospheric Deira Spice Soulk.
Waiting to ferry passengers across Dubai Creek to Al Bastakiya.
Too big to fit in a photo! The Burj Khalifa by night.

Marques de Riscal Rueda 2008

2010-07-13T12:26:00.012+08:00

Rueda, $120, screwtop

I've got my WSET exam on Saturday and probably the biggest gap in my knowledge is Spanish white wines. So I was able to purchase and drink this little number and call it homework. Marques de Riscal have been producing wine for over a 150 and are perhaps most well know for Rioja, however they have also have extensive planting in the Rueda DO. This is made from a mix of 85% indigenous Verdejo grapes and 15% Viura. It's good to see a Spanish wine sealed with a screw-top. This is lemon yellow in colour and medium intensity (that's getting all WSET on you). The nose is fresh, floral and echoes spring-time. There's aromas of white blossom, plus a touch of lime and pear. On the palate the flavours are green apple and pear and a hint of bitter, green almonds on the finish. Marques de Riscal Rueda 2008 is a tasty wine, it's soft and round; there's not much acidity, but plenty of drinkability. I enjoyed this.

Visit winery website.

Mitolo 'The Jester' Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

2010-07-10T12:36:00.013+08:00

Willunga, McLaren Vale, screwtop

Mitolo Wines are a family owned producer in South Australia's McLaren Vale. I like a good, flash-free, website and their one is pretty informative. Apart from telling me that 20% of the grapes were dried Amarone style for over five weeks and it was made by Ben Glaetzer I was also able to discover that the jester featured on the label is Monarcho; "the most eccentric of all Jesters in the court of Elizabeth 1" who also happened to feature in Shakespeare's Loves Labour Lost. We drunk this next to the similarly priced Chapelle de Potensac 2005, a Cabernet based Bordeaux.

This is dark, purple and inky in the glass. Having a sniff and it's hello Mr Cassis; this boy just screams black current. There're also more savoury, earthy aromas along with spice and liquorice. Sipping this and the first thing I notice is an initial lick of sweetness, but things settle down and then it's all aboard on the black fruit train. Smooth, integrated tannin, decent length and a touch of oak derived creaminess make this an obviously better made option than the Chapelle de Potensac 2005. The wine does what Monarcho on the labels promises; it offers a fun, easy drinking drop with plenty of flavour. However it's certainly not the most complex red going around and I actually thought it a touch one-dimensional. It wins the bout, but I probably still wouldn't recommend it.

Visit winery website.

Chapelle de Potensac 2005

2010-07-10T10:19:00.011+08:00

Medoc, Bordeaux, cork

Providing inspiring wine on a budget is always a challenge, so when I was bullied into organising the booze for dinner with a heap of my colleagues I thought it would be interesting to do a bit of a New World, Old World thing and open this next to an Aussie Cabernet. Chapelle de Potensac is the second label of Chateau Potensac from Bordeaux's Medoc. The wine is made of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with the rest being Merlot and Cabernet Franc; it comes from the stellar 2005.

Chapelle de Potensac 2005 is a dark ruby colour. The nose isn't particularly intense, but there's an attractive whiff of mint, tobacco, mulberries and plums. The palate is a bit of a one horse race; there're plums and well more plums. There's a bit of tannin that helps to fill out the mouth, but my main issue with this wine is that it pulls up short; puff and it's gone. Uninspiring.

Visit winery website (if you're lucky).

Zone D

2010-07-10T10:15:00.030+08:00

Room 16, 4/F, 16 Matheson St, Causeway Bay
Visited 9th July 2010

Zone D was the scene of what become a rather boozy dinner with a group of my work colleagues. The tiny restaurant - located up some dodgy stairs near Times Square - styles itself as a private kitchen (though I’m not really sure what makes this a ‘private kitchen’ rather than a small restaurant?). Inside it's a dark, intimate space, with room for our group of eleven plus a couple of other tables (and I did feel a bit feel sorry for the bloke who had the serenity of his date shattered by certain of my friends).

Zone D styles itself as an Italian restaurant, though I can't see how as the food on our visit was pretty generic western fare with only one pasta dish remotely resembling Italian cooking. Dinners are offered a five course set menu with a choice of main and dessert. The bread basket to start I thought was pretty average; some of my mates got excited about the ‘pizza’ in it, though I felt it was all way too dry. I enjoyed the first course of seared tuna; crusted with black pepper and served with finely chopped tomatoes; it was well executed and tasty. Next up was my favourite dish; a mushroom cappuccino soup. The soup was thick, balanced and flavoursome and had a hint of truffle. The spaghetti with pawns that followed was pretty boring. Served it a scallop shell there was no hint of scallops, but just two average prawns and a gluggy wine flavoured sauce. For a main I selected the beef short-rib at an $80 surcharge. I wasn't asked how I wanted the meat cooked, but it arrived medium, served atop a pile of mash. I'm not normally one to order a steak, but I had cravings and was really looking forward to a hunk of beef; unfortunately I was disappointed by tough, flavourless meat and boring mash. The final dessert was a great looking crème brûlée accompanied by a couple of delicious marinated strawberries. While the custard was tasty, it was kind of difficult to eat because the toffee top was so hard and thick that actually getting into it was near impossible. So was Zone D in the zone? I actually had a really enjoyable and fun night; the company was great, the wine flowed and the cosy atmosphere perfect for our group. However we were at a restaurant and the food is what really matters and the food at Zone D just did nothing to inspire me. Some of the dishes were good, some not so good, but most of it just simply OK. The couple of staff working the floor were pretty good, though a bit frustrating with the wine service, there were times when I was rather parched and one bloke didn't quite seem to get the point of decanting. $300 a head for five courses isn't a terrible price; especially as we were able to save a packet by bring our own wine corkage fee free. The $80 supplement for a bit of average beef took things to $380 which starts to look a bit pricey for a meal of questionable quality. While it's obvious I didn't love the food, I didn't dislike the restaurant and enjoyed my evening at Zone D. Visit restaurant website.

Turkey Flat Rosé 2010

2010-07-10T10:13:00.010+08:00

Barossa Valley, South Australia, $120, screwtop

Responsible for organising the wine for a dinner with a group of my colleagues, I certainly wasn't surprised when this little pink number proved to be one of the most popular bottles of the evening. Turkey Flat is a stalwart producer in the Barossa, who along with other things, are stewards of the World's oldest Shiraz vines. They are also pretty serious about their Rose with a vineyard specifically dedicated to it, rather than the usual scenario where rose is a by-product of red wine production. It is a blend of 54% Grenache, 28% Shiraz, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Dolcetto.

Talking about a wine's colour is something I'm not normally bothered with, but this is just so pretty. It's a soft baby pink and shins in a very sexy way. And boy does it smell good; there's red fruit aplenty, especially cranberries, but also a seductive herbal edge that gives it moreish, savoury quality. The palate has the same delicious red fruit and the whole package really is an explosion of freshness and flavour. Looking at my tasting notes a single word kept shinning up at me; "lovely".

Visit winery website.

Fook Yin

2010-07-08T22:23:00.039+08:00

11/F, 488 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Visited 7th July 2010
The theme for my tasting group's wine dinner this month was Riesling, and we headed across to Fook Yin to match it up with some Shanghainese food. I'm not a 100% certain about how I've translated the name, but the Chinese is '福宴'. Private Kitchens are all the rage at the moment, but many aren't really 'private’ kitchens at all, but just tiny, purpose built restaurants. This however is not the case with Fook Yin where you really feel like you're dinning in someone's home. The room we were ushered into had just enough room for a table, trinket filled side boards and the very homely touch of a TV.
There’s no choice at Fook Yin; just a list and a never-ending stream of Shanghainese dishes. First off we munched our way through an extensive selection of snacks. I loved the delicious, rich and earthy sautéed mushrooms, though I wasn't as impressed with the uninspiring mashed broad beans. The fillets of fried fish were pretty good; tasty, but dry. I'm a fan of flat noodles with cucumber and sesame and wasn't disappointed with the big pile we got. The pigs’ ear salad was also really good; crunchy slithers of pig ear contrasted with fresh herbs and crisp salad leaves. Rich, smoky and flavoursome the preserved chicken was tasty, but really intense. I was a bit uninspired by the plate of chicken feet and bowl of tofu topped with preserved egg, but these aren’t dishes I particularly get excited over. The table full of dishes I listed above was just the appetisers so when the mains started to arrive I was almost overwhelmed by variety and amount of food. The first of the main dishes was a plate of beautiful smoked eggs; these were magnificently cooked with delightfully runny yokes and plenty of flavour. Next was a bowl of noodles with prawns in a chilli based sauce. The dish was sweeter and milder than I expected but still pretty tasty. Then it was a couple of different types of handmade, tofu wrapped dumplings served in a tasty soup. The steamed Grouper atop tofu that followed was probably my favourite of the mains. The fish was beautifully cooked and the well complemented by the silky beancurd and mild sauce. Next where three massive 'lion head' meatballs with bok choy and a sweet and sour sauce. The huge balls of pork were pretty good and appropriately meaty, though the sauce seemed to lack richness needed to complement so much meat. I enjoyed the sea cucumber and fish soup that followed; it was fresh, clean and rather delicious. The final main was a smoky, roasted chicken that was OK, though nothing special.
I'm a big Riesling fan, but I was a little underwhelmed with the line-up of wines we tried. As a result my favourite was pretty easy to pick; the rich and complex Domaine Weinbach 'Cuvée Sainte Catherine' Alsace Grand Cru 2000; a truly lovely drop. I enjoyed my feed of authentic, fresh and tasty food at Fook Yin. A lot of the guys I was with thought that at $300 a head the meal was over-priced, but I thought it decent value considering the amount and variety of food. I was also impressed with how well the food worked with the Rieslings we tried. I’m sure people will argue that there’re better Shanghainese restaurants out there, but for me Fook Yin was perfect for our needs. The intimate ‘private’ environment worked well for our group and the wine, food and company all contributed to a lovely evening.

Bindi 'Composition' Pinot Noir 2007

2010-07-06T10:06:00.026+08:00

Gisborne, Macedon, $355, diam cork

My Pinot loving friend is still in town so tonight things got a tad more serious. While personally I've got a sentimental attachment to the Macedon Ranges (and the cheesecake at the café in Gisborne near where this is from), but the name Bindi should be known to every Aussie wine lover. Producers of high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay they do things along organic and biodynamic lines and are all about terroir, rocky soils and small yields. The ‘Composition’ Pinot Noir comes from “the quartz rich 'Block K' vineyard and from older vines in lighter quartz/ alluvial and volcanic soils”.

Smelling this is really a matter of defining the term 'floral'; I'm talking flowers, spice, flowers, cherries and flowers. The palate was an alluring mix of red fruits, smoke, star anise and savoury herbs. Initially I wasn’t blown as way as much as I expected by this; it’s a refined wine that’s more about subtle power than an explosion of fruit. It’s lush, silky and seems to go on forever, yet it’s a tale of depth, intensity and structure. I appreciate the quality of this but was wonder if it’s worth the money. And oh, how much must you love a wine that's label features a teacher?

Visit winery website.

Lung King Heen

2010-07-05T08:34:00.034+08:00

Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance St, Central
Visited 4th July 2010
A friend and her fellow - who’s a chef - are in town and there’re not mucking around with anything but the big names. I couldn’t make dinner at Bo Innovation and unfortunately work got in the way of what was apparently an epic lunch at Robuchon á Galera in Macau. So after missing out twice I certainly wasn’t going to miss dinner at Lung King Heen. This Cantonese restaurant in the Four Sasons Hotel has the distinction of being the first and only Chinese restaurant in the Universe to receive three Michelin stars. We were shown through the stylish, but subdued interior to a window table where it was all glamour and seaside views. The food is pretty standard selection of Cantonese offerings, with the expected premium seafood holding up the menu. I let my friends choose and we ended up with tasty, but predictable dishes. First off was their signature appetiser; pears with scallops. Tender, plump scallops were set atop a piece of pear and deep fried in a light, crisp batter. I thought the scallops were excellent and the batter showed a deft touch, but the thick slice of basically raw pear was too crisp and seemed somehow dominated the delicate seafood. Next up were Sichuan-style roast lambchops; these were tender and well cooked, though the sauce was very subtle and not what I expected at all for Sichuan flavouring. Beef with black pepper isn’t something I’d normally order though I enjoyed the tender cubes of beef that were wok tossed with spring onion, garlic and fragrant black pepper. The minced pigeon in lettuce that came next was one of my favourite dishes; really tasty stuff. Though simple I also thought the sautéed zucchini with mushrooms was excellent; pure and fresh this was perfectly cooked and the different varieties of mushrooms packed plenty of flavour. We finished with half a roast chicken. This is meant to be something of a signature dish, but it was pretty disappointing. Joey swears the chicken tasted frozen and while I struggle to believe this, I'd much prefer the roast chook at Tai Wing Wah.
I not a big one for desserts, but, as so often the case, my opinion didn't count. We shared sesame balls, custard puffs and a serve of mango and sago pudding and barley cream. The mango pudding was pretty tasty with slivers of fresh fruit, but nothing obviously special. The barley cream had faint traces of almond, but was really watery and was a pretty average dish. Again the sesame balls and custard puffs were OK, but nothing overly exciting. My favourite desert was the complimentary petits fours; crisp almond cookies and cubes of wolfberry jelly. To drink we ordered an OK bottle of Chablis and an extortionately priced bottle of sparkling water. While I thought the food really well priced the drinks were disgustingly expensive; no matter how good the food is a bottle of water should never be $95.

The quality at Lung King Heen was obvious; top-notch, fresh produce prepared with care and precision, but somehow I felt the whole think lacked the wow factor. Maybe I'm just judging harshly because of those shinning stars, but I really couldn't figure how this was any better than twenty other Cantonese joints around town. What it lacked in innovation, it certainly made up for in competitive pricing; every dish we had was under $200. Our bill came to just over $500 each, which with desserts and alcohol has to make Lung King Heen the cheapest three star Michelin restaurant going. While the harbour views and interior were spectacular I was actually a bit unsure of what I thought about the service. The staff were ultra efficient, but the whole show lacked personality and I almost felt I was being looked after by attentive, but aloof robots. Despite what the French tyre makers think Lung king Heen isn't the best Chinese restaurant in the universe, but it is pretty good; the harbour views and traditional menu certainly make it a good option for wooing visitors.

Visit restaurant website.

42° South Pinot Noir 2007

2010-07-02T10:38:00.023+08:00

Coal Valley, Tasmania, A$22.50, screwtop

A mate's visiting who's a bit of a Pinot fan and this bottle just happened to be sitting on the bookshelf calling to be drunk. We weren't rude enough to yell back, but instead calmly walked over and unscrewed the stelvin seal and finished the bottle. Forty-two degrees south refers to the latitude of Tasmania and also in this case the second label of Coal Valley Winery Frogmore Creek. 55% of the fruit for this comes from Campania and Richmond in southern Tasmania's Coal Valley, the rest from Relbia in northern Tassie. Ruby in colour this is pretty intense for a Pinot. The nose is just oozing red berries; it's a good old fashioned fruit orgy with red cherries, strawberries and raspberries all flashing their pink bits around. There's also a whiff of sweet spice, perhaps cinnamon and star anise. The palate is bright, fresh and packed with all the lush fruit we smelt on the nose. What I liked about this wine is that it not obviously sweet; sure it's fruity but it's not over the top and there's a beautiful creamy texture in the mouth. 42° South Pinot Noir 2007 is not the most complex wine in the world, but it still wins out for pure deliciousness; there's lots of enjoyment to be had here.

Visit winery website.

Homey Cafe

2010-06-30T07:40:00.020+08:00

15 Manhattan Plaza, 23 Sai Chine St, Yuen Long
Visited 29th June 2010

I’m always keen to check out a new Yuen Long restaurant, especially if they’re serving burgers and fish and chips. Joey and I met up with a couple of mates to check out the Homey Café on what must have been one of their first nights of opening. This small restaurant is located on the corner just near the Immigration building in Manhattan Plaza. Inside it’s simply decked out, but well done; there’s a big blackboard, open kitchen and comfortable booth seating.

The food at the Homey Café is really more American diner than European café; it’s all about burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, with a few fried snacks, salads and pasta dishes. We started off sharing a plate of potato skins; topped with bacon, spring onion and sour cream these were pretty standard, but really well done and deliciously fluffy. My friends all went for burgers while I thought I’d give the lamb kebab a shot. The kebab consisted of two skewers of really tender grilled lamb, pita pockets and salad. I wasn’t expecting great things and was surprised how good this was, especially the delicious lamb. Joey’s fish burger was served in a surprisingly good white roll which was jammed with a couple of crisp, crumbed fillets; again all good though the fish was perhaps a little flavourless. My mates enjoyed a steakhouse burger and double cheese burger; big juicy pieces of meat that were interestingly served on a wholemeal bun. They hadn’t finalised their liquor license yet so we just grabbed a few beers from a convenience store.

I enjoyed my meal at the Homey Café; the food was fresh, well prepared and tasty. While the Homey Café isn’t somewhere you’d go for a gourmet meal or a date, I'd certainly recommend it as an excellent spot for lunch or a casual dinner. The guy running the show was really friendly and staff generally enthusiastic about doing a good job. At just over $75 each I'm certainly not complaining about the bill. There are no surprises at the Homey Cafe, just simple food, well done.

The Myth of a Smoking Ban

2010-06-28T15:15:00.016+08:00

Dying of Lung Cancer

I'm into the World Cup - watching Dutch games at Grappa’s, extremely satisfying English games at friends’ homes and Australia's matches at 2.30 in the morning on a computer screen. The pathetic, profit grabbing arrangement where the World Cup can only be watched on pay TV means that I've also been frequenting Yuen Long's 'local' bars in desperation to catch a game. With supposedly fairer prices and no ridiculous service charge I was looking forward to some quality local pub time. My expectations however have been shattered by minimum spending amounts, having to buy peanuts and worst of all nearly dying from smoke inhalation.

Smoking in public spaces such as bars and restaurants is illegal in Hong Kong. It has been since 1st July 2009. A visit to Wan Chai or Lan Kwai Fong will reveal the puffing hoards pathetically perched out on the street, while inside the fresh air rules. It’s probably pretty obvious I hate cigarette smoke, I understand smoking is a personal choice, however what I really don’t like is having to be subjected to clouds of foul smelling, toxic filth. I’m really pissed off about Hong Kong’s discriminatory and pathetic application of the supposed ‘anti-smoking laws’. These laws seem to only apply to those frequenting western style bars in popular areas and are blatantly ignored in every ‘local’ bar I’ve been to; whether in Causeway Bay, Tin Hau, Mong Kok or Yuen Long. No smoking means NO SMOKING and it's about time the Hong Kong Government got off their arses and did something about enforcing this so called 'law'.

Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2006

2010-06-25T07:16:00.019+08:00

Alexander Valley, Napa, US$24, screwtop

The duty free selection at New York's JFK airport was extremely average; Jacob's Creek dominated and this was the only US offering. I really have no idea about North American wine, but a bit of research on the web shows that Ferrari-Carano are a family run company who have vineyards scattered across Napa. It's worth checking out their website to see the smiling proprietors looking oh so Californian.

This is pretty deep gold in colour and having a sniff the age is noticeable. There’s plenty going on with the nose; lot’s of tasty fruit – grapefruit, peach and apricot - but also a bit of late night toast smeared with honey. This is tasty stuff; the palate’s ripe and lush with tropical fruits, peaches, and plenty of melon; there’s also a nice lick of caramel on the finish. I was expecting buckets (or barrels) of oak, but was impressed with how balanced this was. The 13.5% alcohol was really well integrated. Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay 2006 is certainly a lovely wine; full bodied, complex but well balanced. I’m starting to get worried; the last three Californian wines I’ve tried have impressed me…

Visit winery website.

Foraging in Hong Kong?

2010-06-21T12:09:00.010+08:00

What Can We Eat?????
Foraging - the “act of looking or searching for food or provisions" – is a concept that I’m more and more drawn to. Foraging is how our original ancestors acquired food as hunter gatherers. When practised sustainably it is a way to eat that links the food with the consumer; man with nature. Even in Australia’s harsh environment fishing, shooting roos, diving for scallops and abalone and harvesting wild nuts and herbs is pretty accessible. Yet here in Hong Kong I read blogs about foraging, I think about foraging, yet I do very little of it. Why?
What can I hunt and gather within our SAR? I do a bit of fishing and eat the occasional salt water species, though I’m too concerned about water quality to try freshwater fish. The odd papaya and mulberry finds itself into my possession. I use banana leaves for cooking, buffalo poo for compost and bamboo for gardening stakes and that folks is the extent of my Hong Kong foraging. I've seriously considered munching on the massive snails that reside here, but was scarred off by rat lungworm and have seen people gather medical herbs around my village. I’ve searched the net extensively but can’t find anything in English. Is it a language barrier and a lack of information holding me back or is the Hong Kong environment so corrupted that people have stopped bothering? Surely there must be older residents still foraging amongst villages of the New Territory? If anyone has any information please help.

Read foraging adventures here, here and here.

Mak's Noodles

2010-06-20T23:11:00.019+08:00

77 Wellington St, Central
Visited 20th June 2010
I was hungry, hung-over and heartbroken. Bitterly disappointed with the terrible refereeing decision that resulted in Australia's World Cup draw to Ghana I was also on the lookout for hangover food. I found myself in Wellington Street and took the opportunity to try Mak's Noodles. On a street packed with restaurants this old school joint, which has been around since the 1960's, would easily be the most famous. I'm a big fan of Wang Fu and like Tsim Chai Kee Noodle across the road so was very keen to see how Mak's compared. They have also opened several other branches around town.

The selection at Mak's is pretty basic with only a couple of noodle dishes and sides of vegetables to choose from. I went for the noodle soup with wontons and beef brisket. When the dish came I was taken back - the tiny bowl was honestly not much bigger than a regular sized rice bowl. Within was a pile of chewie egg noodles, three tiny shrimp wontons, cubes of beef and a scattering of spring onions. The delicate wontons were tasty and the tender braised beef and its rich grave was really good. Flavoured by the sauce clinging to the beef and spring onions the soup was also delicious.
My feed at Mak's Noodles was extremely enjoyable, but it was so tiny that after I left I basically started looking for snacks straight away. The quality was excellent, but $40 for such a tiny bowl seemed to be pushing it, especially when the competition's so fierce on Wellington Street. The restaurant seemed to be more crowded with well presented waiters than customers and the guy who served me was helpful and friendly. For sure I loved the noodles at Mak's, but the serve was so unsatisfying that I wonder if I'll bother going back; I can't see the point in visiting a restaurant and having to order two serves to get an average sized lunch.

No website to visit, but they're famous enough to have a Wikipedia page.

Relish Noodle

2010-06-17T10:14:00.049+08:00

184-186 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Visited 16th June 2010
I was talked into going to the Mika concert by a very excited Joey; surprisingly I enjoyed the flamboyant show and catchy pop tunes a lot more than expected. Before the gig started we strolled into Relish Noodle for an early dinner. Out choice was based upon the simple reason that it is conveniently opposite the 968 bus stop on Hennessy Road. Inside it was pretty basic setup with an open kitchen and single line of booths. For a 'local' style place it was pretty well decked out; simple, but clean and a touch of the funky with orange chopsticks matching the wall tiles.

The menu included a mix of different noodle dishes from places like Malaysia, Vietnam and regional China. As I hadn't had one in ages I went for a laksa with thinly sliced pork, while Joey chose la mian with chicken. We also snacked on honey glazed chicken wings and spring rolls. When my laksa arrived the first thing I noticed was that it stunk. The fish cakes floating in it were really strong and while tasting OK were just too pongy to be pleasant. The whole dish was really disappointing; the soup was watery and lacking spice and flavour, the meat was overly fatty pork-belly and the whole dish really needed some fresh herbs vegetables. Joey's soup noodles were better, but still just OK and she really wasn't impressed with the flavourless, shredded chicken they came with. The chicken wings were pretty tasty with an obvious honey flavour, though they were just too oily and the dripping fat was off putting. The couple of spring rolls we got were OK, but went soggy as dipping sauce was sloshed all over the plate. To drinks I enjoyed my coconut milk with jelly cubes, while Joey though her red been and coconut milk crush needed more than three red beans.

I obviously wasn't impressed with the food at Relish Noodles, but the service was just as bad. I can't speak Cantonese, but even I could pick up the rudeness in the manner and body language of the lady who served us. The only positive was that I didn't have to cough up too much coin to be served bad food by a surly woman; the total for both of us with drinks and snacks was $97. I had no preconceived ideas about Relish Noodles, but walked away disappointed; lucky Mika came through with the goods.

Quinta do Cotto Douro 2005

2010-06-16T09:13:00.024+08:00

Douro, MOP105, screwtop

A Portuguese wine sealed with a screwtop!!!!! Whatever else may be said the people at Quinta do Cotto should get points for being sensible and innovative in face of Portugal's outdated, crusty, cork culture. Though they were originally a Port producer (and still make a Vintage Port in exceptional years) the winery has been focused on making table wines since the 1930s. This is their standard offering; a blend of the traditional Port varieties of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Touriga Francesa, as well as the more unusual Sousão. The nose on this has plenty of sweet fruits, especially plum and blackberry (it's obviously been kept fresh by the lovely screwtop), there're also hints of oak with spice and cinnamon. On the palate this was initially all about plums and seemed pretty simple, but with a bit of time it opened up OK and black fruit and pepper flavours emerged. It is medium bodied with fine, chalky tannins. Being critical it does pull up a little short and I'm thrown off by the alcohol that's a tad obvious for a wine that's meant to be 13%. Quinta do Cotto Douro 2005 is a pleasant enough drop and while not overly exciting definitely gets a bonus marks for the closure.

Visit winery website.

Noodle & Congee Corner

2010-06-14T13:08:00.031+08:00

Upper 1st Floor, Grand Lisboa Casino, Macau
Visited 13th June 2010 When I first visited Macau people referenced the Macau Tower as a certain part of Stanley Ho's body; however I'm not sure what they make of the new, sparkling shrine that is the Grand Lisboa. I visit Macau relatively frequently, yet apart from the mandatory sightseeing trudge through the Venetian I tend to avoid the casinos. Gambling in a crowded, smoke filled room holds little appeal, especially when the minimum bets are so ridiculously high. Despite all I found myself exploring the shinny depths of the Grand Lisboa, but only so we could try Noodle and Congee Corner. This place has gained a bit of a reputation with TV appearances and a Michelin 'bib gourmet' recommendation. It's a big restaurant that overlooks the gaming floor with the Kitchen proudly on display. We watched the dumpling making team, before starring starry eyed at the main kitchen were hand-made noodles are cut, pulled and in the case of their famous yi gen mian, tossed into shape.

As you can probably guess they specialise in noodles and congee as well as an assortment of dumplings. We went for poached Tianjin Dumplings, a rice paper roll, barbecue pork buns and the famous yi gen mian. First out were the tender pork and vegetable dumplings which were pretty good, but lacked flavour. The single, foot long rice paper roll was filled with scallops and enoki mushrooms; it was delicate and totally delicious. The soft pork buns were pretty good with an obvious hint of honey to the pork. Ordering the noodles are a matter of selecting the individual components and we went for stewed beef and wontons in a beef broth and of course the mighty yi gen mian. This house speciality is a big ball of fun; a single noodle that's over 10 feet long. We saw the chef making these and the impressive display involved throwing a continuous stream of dough into the pot from several metres away. The accompanying wontons were OK, but were overshadowed by some mighty tasty, tender stewed beef. The noodles itself was good; I just wish I could find the end. Joey also liked the fact that she could add her own sugar to taste to the glass of soy milk she ordered.

I enjoyed my meal at Noodle and Congee Corner. The food was well prepared and quality of ingredients was obvious, especially the tasty scallops, beef and handmade noodle. The fact you can see the dishes being prepared adds an element of theatre, especially when the chef starts throwing around a ten foot noodle. The service was good and the small army of waiters (wearing what would have to be contenders for the worst trousers in the world) were very attentive and professional. Our meal came to MOP162, which I think is certainly fair value considering the quality of the grub. Casinos aren't my favourite places, but if they don't bother you then Noodle & Congee Corner certainly presents a good value option for a casual feed. Visit restaurant website.

Lord Stow's Garden Cafe

2010-06-14T11:00:00.017+08:00

105 Rua da Cordoaria, Coloane Village, Macau
Visited 13th June 2010 A weekend in Macau with Joey and Sunday morning we found ourselves exploring Coloane Village. While there’s plenty to see in terms of temples, dragon boat shipyards and muddy channel views, Colane is really famous for its egg tarts. The place responsible is Lord Stow’s who have built a little empire that includes Lord Stow's Cafe, the original Lord Stow's Bakery and Lord Stow’s Garden Café where we found ourselves. With an outlet at the Venetian and franchises in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and the Philippines Lord Stow’s has certainly grown from its humble Coloane roots. Though I'm always a little sceptical about "must try" and "best in Macau" style claims we decided we had to sample a couple of egg tarts. The Garden Café itself is a nice airy restaurant with a few outdoor tables.

The menu is a bit of random mix; there’s a selection of Thai dishes, but also plenty of other stuff including Cornish Pasties, lasagne, salads, baked potatoes. It actually reminded me a lot of café menus in the UK, though that could have just been the baked potato. The emphasis is on healthy ingredients and nearly everything is homemade on site. We ordered Thai fried chicken with rice for simple reason the people on the next table were munching into it and it looked good. The chicken was crisp, well cooked and tender. It came served with rice and a couple of homemade sambals. I got really old school and ordered a coke float while Joey went for a honey and fruit tea. While the float was awesome unfortunately the coffee I had to finish was terrible; weak and lacking flavour it was really disappointing. Oh and the egg tarts you ask; best in the world? Well they were delicate wee things and really liked the custard filling; however the oily pastry was a touch burnt on bottom. While I really liked them ‘best in the world’ is a big call.

To be honest I wasn't expecting much apart from hype from Lord Stow’s, but I really did enjoy my visit. The café itself was a relaxed and pleasant place for lunch, while the staff were efficient and ultra friendly. Our grub came to a reasonable $114 and there was no mention of deceitful service charge. While not really Macanese in style everything was pretty tasty apart from the appalling coffee; something that needs to be fixed if they are going to call themselves a ‘café’. Wondering Coloane is a very pleasant way to spend a morning in Macau and our lunch at Lord Stow’s Garden Café certainly went down well Visit restaurant website.

Bad Bottled Water

2010-06-10T17:24:00.015+08:00

The Story of Stuff

For me if a restaurant serves tap-water or not is often the key factor in my decision whether or not to go back. In Australia (and many other civilised countries) refusing to serve tap water is illegal, yet in Hong Kong it's a common practise. Having safe drinking water is something many people can only dream about, yet in Hong Kong we've let fear and corporate propaganda stop us from enjoying beautiful clean water; water that's certainly a lot better than I would drink in many parts of Australia. I challenge someone to show me proof that Hong Kong's tap water is unsafe to drink.

My disdain of bottled water isn't an issue of health or expense, but an environmental concern. This little video from Annie Leonard and the team at The Story of Stuff does a good job of explaining why bottle water is such a terrible thing. Let's just hope that Hong Kong restaurants one-day get the picture and start to put the environment before profits.

Visit the Story of Stuff website.

Machiavelli 'Solatio del Tani' Chianti Classico 2006

2010-06-06T10:24:00.019+08:00

Tuscany, £11.99, cork

No website Mr Machiavelli? From what I can gather this estate was founded in 1693 and today the winery is located in Machiavelli's old house, which also operates as a museum. This wine is 100% Sangiovese and I'm pretty sure 'Solatio del Tani' refers to vineyards sunny position, but if they had a website I could check...
It's still ruby in colour, but just starting to show hints orange around the rim. Sniff, sniff and I get aromas of liquorice and red cherry, but also hints of flowers, strawberries and something dusty. The liquorice and cherry from the nose are just as obvious on the palate, and as the wine opened up floral and spice notes emerged. It's got high acid levels, but this is balanced with intense, but fine, sweet tannin. Chianti's touted as a food wine and this bad boy is on exception; it's well structured and tasty, though if I had to nitpick the alcohol is a little obvious and the palate's not overly complex. Machiavelli 'Solatio del Tani' Chianti Classico 2006 is decent drinking.

Fridge

2010-06-02T15:05:00.029+08:00

48 Peal St, Soho
Visited 1st June 2010
It' a steep trudge up Peal Street, but when it’s for dinner at a private kitchen, along with a sparkling wine tasting it's definitely worth it. Our meal was at Fridge; a restaurant that's recently relocated from Causeway Bay. It's a small, thin space without four tables inside and a couple on their balcony. One wall is lined with a decent selection of fairly priced wine and the tiny kitchen occupies the back corner.

When I arrived there were a couple of big plates of cheese adorning the tables: comté, gruyere and some nice brie accompanied by a hot baguette; tasty stuff. Next up we were served 4 different types of fresh oysters. All were delicious and I was impressed with how noticeable the flavours were between the different varieties. We were given an advance choice of three mains: chicken, beef or scallops. I went for the sirloin steak and the tender meat was really well cooked. However it was squashed onto the smallest plate imaginable and only accompanied by a couple of tiny herbed potatoes; it really could have done with the company of another side or two. Desert was meant to be pavlova with fresh fruit instead I got a small white rock topped with a single strawberry and a couple of blueberries. As an Aussie I’m passionate about our national desert so took this hard, flavourless, toppingless ‘thing’ as a bit of a personal affront.
Along with a selection of American, Italian, German and French sparkling we also had an overly grassy Cullen Margret River Semillon and great value bottle of Cote du Rhone. My favourite wine of the evening was Delamotte Brut Blanc de Blanc Champagne 1999; a rich and textured wine with plenty of fruit and an interesting spicy edge.

My meal seemed to deteriorate as it went on. The cheese and oysters to start were awesome, the beef decent and the pavlova heart-breaking. To me the strength of Fridge was the excellent quality of their ingredients. I think they started life as a delicatessen and obviously have a good supply network for cheese, oysters and steak. I can't quite remember what I paid for my meal, though while it wasn't particularly cheap it was good value for such high quality ingredients. The cosy atmosphere was perfect for our group and the fact they waved corkage worked well for our tasting. I also have to give the staff a big nod for being ultra friendly and accommodating. Though not getting any points for its pavlova, Fridge offers up some tasty food and is worth visiting purely for the oysters.

Fontana Candida Frascati 2006

2010-06-01T08:57:00.016+08:00

Frascati, Lazio, $59, cork

I didn't know a thing about Frascati until a little while ago, but what I found out is kind of interesting. It's a smallish DOC in the Alban Hills 20km south-east of Rome and for thousands of years it has been supplying the pubs of Rome with booze. This specific bottle is a blend of 50% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 40% Trebbiano Toscano, 10% Malvasia del Lazio, the very same grapes that were used to make Frascati in ancient times.Fontana Candida Frascati 2006 is a lot darker than I was expecting; it’s a lovely bright gold. It smells good, really good. There are soft fruits and tropical fruits, think apple, pear, starfruit and pineapple, but it’s surprisingly complex with whiffs of almond, summer meadows, and honey. To taste, it screams of the Italian hills; herbs, wildflowers and honey, alongside ripe red apples and pears. It’s a wine with plenty of body and a nice roundness in the mouth. Joey gave this a big thumbs up, and I enjoyed it too; good price as well. I’d drink the 2006 vintage sooner rather than later.

Visit winery website.

Peking Cuisine

2010-05-26T22:32:00.020+08:00

18 Elgin St, Soho, Central
Visited 25th May 2010

Soho is certainly not renowned for its Chinese restaurants and I've got no idea why we ended up at this place. Peking Cuisine is a little restaurant at the bottom of Elgin Street. It’s decked out with a bit of Chinese style clutter and is small and ‘intimate’.
The menu is full of the predictable greatest hits of Beijing. Initially we ordered stir-fried noodles and braised eggplant with pork, but were told the eggplant was a tiny serve(!) so we added a plate of roast mutton. The eggplant came first and it was OK. This dish is always going to be oily, but I would have liked have seen more pork, chilli and seasoning to accompany the oil that smothered the eggplant. Next was the roast mutton and it was spectacular. I’ve had this dish a few times before and love it, though the serves are never big enough. The version we got offered at Peking Cuisine was great; soft, meltingly tender slices of lamb, crisp top and delectable fragrant seasoning; awesome stuff. The plate of noodles came tossed with slithers of pork, bean sprouts, capsicum and onion. Though the noodles were well cooked and nicely al dente, the whole dish was seasoned really strangely seasoned and tasted almost sour. To drink we were told we couldn't have tap water so instead of buying a beer as I planned, I had nothing.
OK, so Chinese in Soho? What we ate at Peking Cuisine was a bit of a mixed bag, the mutton was excellent, the eggplant OK and the noodles pretty average. The service was also kind of ambivalent; the lady who took our order was friendly and helpful, though her 'advice' that the eggplant was "really small" just seemed a thinly veiled attempt to get us to buy more. My big grip however is that we were told that we couldn't have a glass of tap water. This attitude makes me furious with its short sightedness and blatant disregard for the environment. The food wasn't ridiculous, but it certainly wasn't a bargain: the noodles were $88, the eggplant $79 and the mutton $118. While Peking Cuisine was kind of OK I really can't see why you'd bother when there are so many great Beijing style restaurants in Hong Kong; I certainly will not be heading back anytime soon.

Chateau Corbin Michotte Masterclass

2010-05-26T10:34:00.026+08:00

Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
25th May 2010

Day two of the Ponti Wine Cellars master classes and it was time to move from Italy to France. I was very excited about tonight’s tasting and the opportunity to try some old Bordeaux. I’m usually pretty sceptical about Bordeaux; I’ve had bottles I’ve loved, but have also had gallons of rubbish. I suppose though, what really gets me is poor value I perceive as coming out of the region. We were guided through several decades of Chateau Corbin Michotte wines by proprietor Emmanuel Boidron. When Emmanuel arrived he was exhausted after travels in China, but with a glass in front of him he quickly warmed to the topic and warmed to his audience. His Grand Cru Classé estate is located on the north-west corner of St Emilion; just up the road from Cheval Blanc. It has been owned by the Boidrons since 1959. The wine is usually a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc and matured in big, new oak barrels.

The vibrant, ruby Chateau Corbin Michotte 2005 was truly a beautiful proposition with plenty of red and black fruit, spice and floral notes. While truly delicious, what impressed me most about this was how refined it was; medium bodied and with fine, perfectly integrated tannin. The 1998 was noticeably firmer and richer than the 2005. It was still ruby in colour with just a hint of orange and a little cloudiness. The nose had lots of spice coming through, with more black fruit than red – boysenberry and blackberry – alongside some sweet red capsicum. The palate was all about sweet black fruits with a lovely herbal edge. Again this was really drinkable with excellent length and masterful, firm but alluring tannins.

Apparently 1981 was a hot year in Bordeaux and Chateau Corbin Michotte 1981 was distinct in that it was made from 50% Cabernet Franc. Perfumed, complex nose had aromas of red liquorice, cassis, spice and leather, while the palate started sweet and moved through gamey flavours before finishing with a taste of liquorice. When we opened the 1975 Emmanuel was really impressed with the cork; I’d have to agree that it was holding up remarkably well (for a cork). Orange fading to brown this had lots of mint on the nose along with aniseed, cinnamon and violets. It was really savoury and tasted of red fruits, tar, tobacco, and aniseed. The acid was noticeable on these older wines and the length excellent on all. The final wine got me a touch excited; a Chateau Corbin Michotte 1964. Light brown in colour the nose on this was initially withdrawn, but as it opened with hints of flowers and spice. The earthy palate was much more inspiring and had leather, aniseed, game and red fruit flavours.

What a tasting; the 1964 was the oldest wine I’ve ever drunk and a truly memorable experience. However what impressed me most was the consistency and quality across the whole selection. The older vintages weren't from the best years, yet all these wines we were beautifully balanced; medium bodied with particularly stylish tannin; and most importantly they were all so, so drinkable. I mentioned price before and at $389 for the 2005 vintage I really can't complain about value either.

Renato Ratti Barolo Masterclass

2010-05-25T09:31:00.026+08:00

Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
24th May 2010

Vinexpo Asia is about to start in Hong Kong has been inundated with visiting winemakers, wine tastings, wine walks, wine dinners, wine fairs, 'crazy wine sales' and I'm guessing quite a few people drinking beer. The excitement is almost too much to handle, but amongst it all I was particularly taken with the round of 'master class' tasting offered by Ponti Wine Cellars. Unfortunately I couldn't make the Chianti and Burgundy ones (that whole working thing), but I managed to make the two latter tastings, the first of which was the Barolo's of Renato Ratti.
The tasting was hosted by the charismatic Pietro Ratti, son of the founder and current proprietor. Pietro enthusiasm for his wines and Piedmont in general was unmistakable. His Italian passion was obvious as he briefly outlined the company's history and walked us through his wines. By chance I've tried their Langhe Nebbiolo previously, but the Barolo's of this tasting were a marked step up.

First on the tasting table were three vintages of their Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco. Marcenasco is a sub-region of Barolo near the town of La Morra where their winery is and this (in theory) is their entry level Barolo; though there is nothing 'entry level' about the quality. These wines see 25% new oak, with the fruit coming from three vineyard sites. The 2006 was simply delicious with plenty of cherry, liquorice and of course tannin. The 2005 was similar though I detected mint and aniseed on the nose and the tannins seemed a bit grippier. The 2004 had sign of developing with additional gamey notes on the nose and slightly softer tannins. All three wines were all fantastic, and while the tannins were big they were accompanied by acidity and red fruit aplenty.

The Renato Ratti Barolo Conca 2006 comes from a tiny vineyard right in front of their winery. This was a lot more complex than the Marcenasco, with the noticeable floral aromas. The nose was perhaps slightly more closed, but there was still cherries, smoke and violets. The more savoury palate of course had cherries, but also liquorice and dried herbs. Again this was a case of amazing tannin, balanced with plenty of acidity.

Pietro sees the single vineyard Rocche wines as his 'grand crus' and the quality of his Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche 2006 & 2005 were amazing, but distinct. The 2006 was a tale of tar, flowers, cherries and lots of liquorice with a somewhat withdrawn, but integrated palate and all consuming tannin. 2005 still had the cherries, but there was game, mint (something to do with this vintage perhaps?) and an overwhelming seductive, floral perfume.

I walked away from this all about Barolo. The wines themselves were outstanding and Pietro's friendly, knowledgeable comments added to the experience. Ponti Wine Cellars did a good job of hosting the event.

Visit winery website.

Green Cottage

2010-05-23T17:39:00.020+08:00

26 Main St, Yung Shue Wan
Visited 23rd May 2010It's a long weekend and I'm stuck in Hong Kong. Too somewhat make up for these horrendous circumstances we decided the only sensible thing was to have a bit of a holiday on Lamma Island. A barbecue at a friend's in Pak Kok Saturday evening and a night on the couch did a lot to make up for not being Bangkok or Beijing. Sunday we wandered over the hill to Yung Shue Wan and met a mate for lunch before hitting the beach. His choice was Green Cottage a new little place towards the ferry end of Main St. We grabbed a table overlooking the harbour on their little terrace.

Green Cottage serves pretty standard café fare, but as Lamma is Hong Kong’s hippie haven the menu is mainly vegetarian and organic. I went for a lunch set that included soup, mushroom burger and coffee. Joey had already had a serve of eggs so stole the soup from my set and ordered a mango smoothie. Though not massive the burger was tasty; the portobello mushroom was really juicy and the additions of red onion marmalade and cheddar were a nice touch. It came with a simple side salad and a few homemade baked wedges; the potato ones were terrible undercooked, while the sweet potato ones were delicious. The carrot and ginger soup was obviously homemade, with plenty of grated veggies and the interesting addition of some oyster mushrooms; it was a satisfying dish though pretty basic and heavy on the ginger. Joey’s smoothie was good, while the two lattes I drank were just OK.

Our relaxed lunch at Green Cottage was part of a great little ‘holiday’ on Lamma. The tasty homemade food was packed with healthy, fresh ingredients, though a couple of the dishes needed a little refinement. Value wise it’s pretty good: the main meals are listed at $68, but their lunch set, which adds house coffee and soup or salad for $78, is better value. The staff were friendly, efficient and relaxed which went a long way to creating that chilled café atmosphere so often missing in Hong Kong. I also liked the fact that glasses of flavoured tap water were offered and constantly refilled. Green Cottage does a lot of the right things; they just need to sort their coffee.

Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant

2010-05-20T08:23:00.027+08:00

5 Li King House Hong King Street, Yuen Long
Visited 19th May 2010

I think I got the English translation correct, but if not the Chinese is 嘉麗園潮州粉麵餐廳. In many ways this is a very local style restaurant, but it’s one that is got more front than Myers. Simple metal stools and lino topped tables are packed into a room totally drowned in beef bling. Ox horns, mural covered walls, gold trimming and photos all celebrate the simple joys of beef. Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant also makes its presence felt across Yuen Long by plastering ads on the sides of mini-buses and taxis. This place is basically a celebration of beef; lots and lots of beef, oh and balls. Hong Kongers aren't shy of devouring a whole beast so there's plenty of offal on offer including about a million different types of cow stomach. I ordered a bowl of balls called 'ten treasures'; basically noodles in soup with ten dumplings. The attraction with this dish was the little floating 'treasures'; all different and all hand-made. Most of the balls and dumplings I got were really nice including the beef balls, pork balls and prawn balls and a couple of tofu creations; however the wontons were too soggy and bit disappointing. Set in the middle of these balls was a big clump of hair moss; I'm not a fan of this and have to question either its environmental creditability or authenticity, but perhaps that a personal issue. I also felt a bit let down by the soup; it was light on the beef flavour and needed a bit more oomph. My friends both enjoyed their serves of beef noodles, reporting that the mix of tendon, tripe and skirt all beautifully cooked.

Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant certainly scores points for sheer creativity. The people behind the venture should get massive credit for one cool looking joint and for adding a bit of interest to Yuen Long's public transport. A visit to a restaurant however isn't about appearances, but taste and I thought my noodles and booty were OK; good, but nothing special. The guys I was with however were more impressed with their meals; maybe I just don't have the sentimental attachment to this type of old school comfort food that my Hong Kong friends do or maybe I just should have ordered the beef. If you're floating past and in the mood for tripe, Ka Lai Yuen Chiu Chow Restaurant is worth a stop, though I wouldn't go out of my way to visit.

Lots of Little Drinks

2010-05-19T21:50:00.002+08:00

A big bag of little bottles

At mate good mate of mine, who travels a lot for work, is leaving Hong Kong. He arrived around the other day with a big bag of little bottles. Working in both North and South America he has the joy of flying US airlines perhaps more than he'd prefer. They seem to ration their booze more than most and on a given flight he tells me he's entitled to a certainly number of mini spirits bottles. He, of course, always takes them. I'm not really sure if he's doing me a favour by passing over a bag filled with spirits. A parting gift or parting shot?

Paul Zinck 'Prestige' Riesling 2007

2010-05-19T21:46:00.011+08:00

Eguisheim, Alsace, cork

Yuen Long isn’t known as a hot spot for fishing, but I’m slowly getting a bit of an addiction to casting into the gutters and drains of my neighbourhood. The wine I assume would go rather nicely with a Shan Pui River carp, if I ever manage to land one. This offering from Paul Zinck was grown at an elevation of between 230 to 280 metres on south facing slopes of calcerous silt.
This is darker than I expected and is a lovely golden colour; there’s also an abundant deposits of beautiful wine crystals. Having a smell and things get pretty exciting, pretty quick; there’s crisp green apple, green guava, sherbet, lime, lemon and plenty of minerality; it’s seductive stuff. The palate is totally dominated by lemon; there’s enough citrus here for some kind of festival, though hints of tropical fruit add interest. Round, lush and surprising persistent, what stands out however is the buckets of fresh acidity. Though it lacks a bit of palate complexity Paul Zinck 'Prestige' Riesling 2007 is good stuff; bright and aromatic I’ll buy another bottle when I finally catch my carp.

Visit winery website.

Basil, Basil Everywhere

2010-05-10T07:27:00.010+08:00

Update from the Garden

Summer has hit Hong Kong. The weather's warm, the humidity's up and the garden's in full swing. After a few years here I'm happy to say that I've got Basil seeds ingrained in the soil so that both the Thai and Sweet varieties self seed all over the place. This year however I was pretty impressed to see this little guy who's sprouted in a crack in the concrete next to a down pipe; go you good thing!

Griffs Wine Pub

2010-05-06T13:25:00.029+08:00

166 Johnston St, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
Visited 5th May 2010 I had to go back in Melbourne for a couple of days and before heading to Tullamarine Airport it was time for a quick dinner with my parents and a mate (who's basically family anyway). I've wanted to visit Griff's Wine Pub for ages; a good friend's boyfriend was chef here and I'd also heard a few people recommend it in the past. It's nicely set-up and they've managed to keep the charm of the old Melbourne pub where it's housed. Now the sad news; it's shutting down in the next month or so and is being replaced by a tapas bar or something just as unnecessary.
Wednesday night is bargain night at Griff's and they offer a selection of mains for a very reasonable $13.50. Both my father and I went for the roasted pork belly served atop cannellini beans. My mum chose the pork loin with red cabbage and my mate the seafood paella. The pork belly wasn't the biggest serve of meat, but it was deliciously tender. While not particularly attractive to look at the stewed beans it was served atop of were full of flavour and complimented the meat better than I expected. I also enjoyed the sample of my mum's pork chop that I managed to squeeze out of her. We finished by sharing a couple of desserts and both the crème brûlée and a lemon tart were excellent. To drink I started with a pot of Monteith Ale a crisp, flavoursome drop from New Zealand that they have on draft. My mum was happy sipping on Yarrabank Sparkling that they had by the glass while us boys went with a couple of bottles of red. First off was a fruity SC Pannell Pronto GSM and then a fantastic bottle of Samuel's Gorge Shiraz 2004. I visited this winery a few years ago and I was just as impressed with this wine as I was then.

For me Griff's ticked all the right boxes. Sure the food was good, but what sold me was the whole package. As I was literally about to jump on a plane back home to Hong Kong it's easy to compare, and in this case Australia came out a big winner. First was the chilled atmosphere; an environment that was perfect for a family get together and one that is rarely found in Hong Kong where it's either forced formality or unruly craziness. Next up was the service. The staff here were efficient, polite and aware, but they were also extremely knowledgeable and managed operate in a relaxed and friendly manner; again so different to Hong Kong were service is always chokingly formal or non-existent (I'm sure there's some expression about paying peanuts). The other great win for Australia was the wine. I've said before Hong Kong is a great place to buy wine, but a terrible place to drink it. At A$62 the Samuel's Gorge Shiraz 2004 wasn't particularly cheap, but at about HK$430 that's kind of normal for Hong Kong. The big difference is in the mark-up; retailing at A$35 (the same as it did in 2005!!!) this had less than a 100% mark-up. Now compare this to Hong Kong where wines tend to get inflated by 200% or 300%. Griff's Wine Pub really has a winning formula; I just wonder why anyone would want to close it down?

Dumpling King

2010-05-02T11:42:00.026+08:00

240 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long
Visited 1st May 2009
Before a Saturday morning visit to the market and Joey and figure it was time for some sort of food. I’d noticed the Dumpling King but had never tried it, but when we saw the prices we were in there quick smart. The branch we went on Castle Peak Road opposite Yuen Long Plaza is one six outlets scattered between Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan; the other Yuen Long branch is on Fau Tsoi Street near Shaffi’s. Inside the big restaurant is just your typical Chinese dinner; clean but basic.

While claiming to be the ‘King’ as far as dumplings go these guys also sell a range of noodles and rice plates as well as plenty of different snacks. We of course went for a serve of their signature pan-fried dumplings, along with a steamed bun and a serve of hollow soup noodles with chicken wings. The dumplings were a slightly strange elongated shape but were really juicy inside with a crisp, but surprisingly not oily bottom. The pork bun was good, with a decent meaty filling. Joey really wanted ‘hollow noodles’, insisting that as you can suck up soup through the middle they have a really intense flavour; I disagreed. Along with bad ‘luncheon meat’ and soggy macaroni these noodles would have to be about the only Cantonese food I really dislike. As I predicted the hollow noodles, which are really just a bad quality copy of spaghetti were soggy, flavourless mess. The rest of the dish was OK though: a nice enough soup base, minced beef, peanuts and some oily, but tasty wings.
While claiming to be the King of Dumplings is perhaps a bit of an overstatement there’s no denying that the Dumpling King offers some tasty snacks. Probably the most startling thing about this place is the how good value it is; $10 for 5 dumplings, $4 for a bun, $23 for the noodles with a plate of wings and only an additional extra $4 and $5 for soy milk and a Coke; cheap as. Apart from the sloppy hollow noodles I enjoyed my feed at the Dumpling King and will certainly be stopping in again.

Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent 2007

2010-04-30T14:18:00.009+08:00

Moulin-a-Vent, Beaujolais, $148, cork

I’m never tempted by Beaujolais Nouveau (well OK once in Japan, but that was only because it was a Hello Kitty wine), but Cru Beaujolais on the other hand is a whole different story. Moulin-a-vent means “windmill” in French and this hilly area in the north-east of Beaujolais is known for its relatively long lived wines, as well as its windmill. Available in Hong Kong from Wine Hot, it is of course 100% Gamay.

Quite light it’s a vibrant cherry red and there’s cola, red fruits and pepper aplenty on the nose. This tastes fresh and ‘red’; really it’s a mardi gras of red fruit; first along dance the wild strawberries, then come the jolly little raspberries and finally it’s a wave of cheeky cranberries. Alongside this fruit fiesta there’s a lovely lick of spice and a grind of white pepper. While there’s plenty of upfront fruit this is a wine that's certainly no pushover; medium to full bodied it’s got fine tannins and good persistence. I drunk it over a few nights and on the third evening it had softened, but was still holding up beautifully. While it may not be the most sophisticated, Chateau Moulin-a-Vent 2007 so, so drinkable.

Alfie's By Kee

2010-04-27T23:59:00.023+08:00

G/F, Prince's Building, 10 Chater Rd, Central
Visited 26th April 2010 Hoisted above the cool suits of the Alfred Dunhill's Prince Building store this joint venture with the oh so grand Kee Club can't help but ooze style. While I've enjoyed my past visits to the member's only Kee Club I tend to think the whole place has been heavily dusted with a the pretentiousness brush, Alfie's on the other hand seems to be just your typical down-to-Earth Western restaurant in Central. The place looks in many ways more like a slick bar than a restaurant. I'm not normally too fussed about a joint's decor, but I really liked the look of this place; black leather sofas, black tiles, black and white prints along with a couple of things that weren't black.

The menu doesn't have a huge selection and what's there is very much traditional English fare; think sausage and mash, pie, roast chicken, steak, smoked haddock, trifle, Eton mess and crumble. We shared a sausage roll starter and then I went for the poached Scottish Salmon. The sausage roll was pretty standard; minced pork wrapped in flaky pastry. Though not overly exciting it tasted good and I thought the only negative was the accompanying homemade tomato sauce that was strangely acidic. My salmon came with lentils and a watercress salad and the whole think was a hit. The moist salmon was perfectly cooked and peppery salad leaves and tender lentils offered a perfect accompaniment. I also really enjoyed a little sample of Joey's roast chicken with mushrooms and spinach. However my friend's shepherd's pie was pretty uninspiring and no better than what's avaliable in most Hong Kong pubs. I appreciated being offered iced water, but also enjoyed a glass of Louis Latour Bourgogne Chardonnay.

The food at Alfie's is touted as "modern British fare" and while it's very British I can't really see how it's modern British (well maybe apart from the fact that it's good), but labels tend to be irrelevant and this tasted superb. Both Joey and my mains were well cooked, delicious meals; the fact that we enjoyed them in a stylish setting surrounded by attentive staff only helped to heighten the experience. While particularly a bargain the prices seem pretty fair for this style of place in Central; the chicken was $185, my salmon $225 and the starter $90. I'll admit that I went into Alfie's By Kee with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, however I walked out converted.

Visit restaurant website.

Topie & Dinah 'Live Seafood Restaurant'

2010-04-26T06:47:00.031+08:00

Caw-Oy, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
Visited 25th April A brief tip to Philippines for the Cebu Rugby 10s left a big bunch of hungover blokes looking for something to divert the pain come Sunday morning. There really wasn't much for it but to hire a boat and go for a cruise. Our first stop was the fish feeding area off the side of Olango Island that I've visited before; this time unfortunately there weren't many fish so the whole snorkelling thing was a bit of a letdown. Suddenly it was lunch time and we were shunted across to a Topie & Dinah 'Live Seafood Restaurant' further around the island. This place claims to be 'floating', though in reality it sits on stilts just off the Island. The restaurant itself is really basic; just a concrete floor and roof. We sprawled out, ordered some San Migs and started to think about food.

There weren't menus, just a few of tubes of fish to choose from so a couple of blokes took responsibility and ordered up a decent mix of fishy goodies. First came some char-grilled tiger prawns; these guys were big, tasty and flavoursome. Next up were some big grilled clams with garlic and fried calamari. The squid was ruined by the thick, ugly batter that consumed it; however the clams were better, though a tad dry. 'Lapu-Lapu' is how the Filipinos refer to Grouper and it's considered a bit of a national delicacy. The fish we were presented with was tiny, though tasty and well prepared in an almost Chinese style with ginger, garlic and soy. Last was a whole tuna, just big enough for our table of hungry rugby players. The fish was simply grilled on coals. It was cooked too quickly which meant that different parts were cooked to different degrees, but if you found the right part it was delicious. Cold bottles of San Mig were the order of the day, though I think I saw someone sensibly sipping on water. OK so the food wasn't Earth shattering, but our lunch at Topie & Dinah 'Live Seafood Restaurant' certainly scores points as an experience. The tab came to a fair PHP550 (HK$100) each. My biggest concern however was the environmental consequences of my lunch. The restaurant was located atop coral in or near a marine sanctuary; coral which we were forced to walk across. The grouper was clearly well under-sized and many types of tuna are endangered. Oh the toilet also flushed straight into the water. OK so If I'm such a raving hippie why did I bother writing the restaurant up at all? Well despite my reservations I still think the lunch deserves recognition as part of a great weekend. I was in Cebu for under forty hours yet managed a rugby tournament, dinner, partying, a dawn ANZAC Day Service, boat trip, seafood lunch and a bit of pool time; it just shows you what you can do in a weekend!

Domaine de Saint Romble Sancerre 2007

2010-04-22T16:43:00.013+08:00

Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, Loire, $158, cork

I try not to buy wine from Park n Shop too often, but occasionally get tempted when something interesting is on special. I had had a Sancerre for ages so when I saw this reduced to $98 I thought I’d give it a go. I can't find anything much about this on the web. The bottle names the producer as Domaine Paul Vatton with an address in Maimbray, a village in the commune of Sury-en-Vaux. It is, of course, made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Darker than I expected, Domain de Saint Romble Sancerre 2007 is a lovely golden yellow. OK, OK; so I was looking for cat piss and got a bit of a whiff at the start, but it soon drifted off and I ended up smelling tart gooseberry and grapefruit. The nose on this was pretty interesting with additional aromas of star fruit and coriander. On the palate this was totally dominated by acidity, making it a wine you feel rather than taste. Though there is a big lick of lime on the finish, I would have liked to have seen a bit more flavour on the mid palate. I enjoyed Domain de Saint Romble Sancerre 2007, but in many ways it is a bit of a one trick pony and that trick ladies and gentlemen is the bite, bite, cut, cut acid show.

Esporao Trincadeira 2003

2010-04-20T16:20:00.010+08:00

Alentejano, MOP196, terrible cork

Trincadeira? It's one of those exotic 'other' Portuguese grapes and from what I can gather it's widely planted in the hot southern regions of Alentejano and Algarve. Produced by Herdade do Esporao, this is part of the 'Moncastas' range of single varietal wines from which I previously sampled their Aragonês. This saw six months in new American oak and was sealed with the crappiest cork I've seen in a long time. I still smile when I notice it was imported by Goodtime Distributors.
It took a bit of time for the nose to open up, but when it did I got aromas of plum, cassis and mocha, along with chalk and leather. It tastes of green plums and boysenberry stirred with a bit of mint. Medium bodied with good grippy tannin it's a wine that benefits from being served with food. It's still fresh and very much alive, though my only complaint is it's a little hollow on the mid-palate. Esporao Trincadeira 2003 is a pleasant drop that's drinking well.

Visit winery website.

Butagumi Tonkatsu

2010-04-18T11:02:00.027+08:00

7/F The Goldmark, 502 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay
Visited 17th April 2010
Causeway Bay on a Friday night; what was I thinking? Why was I here? I didn't want to go to Sogo or Uniglo or any-other-bloody-shopping-O. I wanted to breathe, then eat, then leave. We split from the crowds and headed up onto the 7th floor of the Goldmark Tower; a rather shabby building across Hennessy Rd from Sogo. Inside it's your typical Japanese style decor, though we were lucky enough to be seated in a kind of cool hanging booth (I of course got told of for swinging it too much). My first true tonkatsu experience was last year in Kyoto where my brother and I happened to be seated next to a couple of stunning girls who showed us the ropes; it's perhaps not that strange but ever since I've been a fan of this dish.

The menu at Butagumi Tonkatsu was obviously focused on breaded pork chops or tonkatsu, but they also had a selection of sushi and sashimi as well as a few different deep fried options. We went with a standard pork loin tonkatsu and a mixed set for which we selected scallops, wagyu beef and rolled chicken with cheese and asparagus. Both dishes came accompanied by surprisingly tasty miso soup, fresh shredded cabbage, rice and the 'crush-the-sesame-seeds-yourself sauce. The mixed plate came with four decent chunks of deliciously tender beef, two awesome fat and succulent scallops and a pair of rolled, stuffed chicken pieces. The chunky pork loin was delicious and I was impressed with how moist and juicy it was: actually all the ingredients were top-notch: the pork, scallops and beef were outstanding. For deep fried food it wasn't too oily either.
Tonkatsu is honestly pretty simple stuff, but it's tasty and when prepared to the standard of Butagumi Tonkatsu offers a satisfying and delicious meal. Our dining experience was pleasant; the staff were friendly and efficient and the restaurant itself was a tranquil oasis compared to the consumer chaos outside. Considering the quality I thought the prices were very fair; $128 for the pork loin and $155 for the mixed goodies. While you can certainly get cheaper Japanese food in Causeway Bay, Butagumi Tonkatsu gets my vote for quality.

Visit winery website.

Only In Japan!

2010-04-14T12:50:00.003+08:00

Coffee Flavoured Toothpaste
We've heard the rumours of the vending machines filled with used knickers, but Japan is home so, so much more in the crazy department. This 'L'espresso' coffee flavoured toothpaste was a gift from a friend; brought back from her honeymoon in Japan. It's flavour number 28 in the Breathe Palate range which suggests that there's a lot more craziness going on in the home of the weird and wonderful.

Visit product website.

Souvlaki King

2010-04-10T06:41:00.019+08:00

311 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Visited 9th April 2010
I've been back in Australia, but unfortunately an ‘incident’ at a party led to a broken camera and thus a lack of photos and blog posts. My trip home to Melbourne was fun and on the final evening after a counter meal and bucket of booze it was decided it was time for a 'dirty kebab' before bed. A short stagger from the Napier Hotel led us to Brunswick St and the shinning lights of the Souvlaki King.

The focus at Souvlaki King is of course the hypnotic skewers stacked with fillets of chicken and lamb slowly spinning on spits. I ordered a mixed kebab with both lamb and chicken off the spit with all the extras thrown in. They also do a selection of the usual fried and fatty takeaway junk and I munched a couple of potato cakes to satisfy the serious cravings I’ve been having for these Aussie 'delicacies'. The kebab was wrapped in excellent chewy, fresh pita and packed with tomato, lettuce and onion. I’m not sure why I ordered both meats (alcohol?) but on (sober) reflection surely it’s better to stick with one flavour? Anyway the juicy slithers of meat were tasty, however I would liked to have seen a few more and speaking of “more” the kebab definitely needed more garlic sauce.

In England kebabs are made from a disgusting meat loaf that resembles dog food and are responsible for a high proportion of alcohol related illness. In Australia it’s a different story with a history of Greek and Turkish immigration there's quality and authenticity amongst our late night takeaway. When I walked into the Souvlaki King I needed food, and despite being stitched with the sauce I enjoyed my kebab and thought it pretty fair value at $9. Too be honest I’ve always been a fan of the competition across the road; Lamb on Brunswick, and while the Souvlaki King probably doesn't deserve the title of ‘King’ it's still a good stop for ‘a dirty kebab’ when you get chucked out of the pub.

Marinda Park Merlot 2001

2010-04-06T07:22:00.017+08:00

Balnarring, Mornington Peninsula, cork seal

I'm back in Australia and dug this out of the cellar. I've no idea how I acquired it, though I do remember visiting the winery years ago. Known for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and expensive sea views, the Mornington Peninsula isn't regularly recognised for its Merlot and Marinda Park is one of the few who produce it as a single varietal. Sorry about the photo; it's totally distorted by my mum's bright green kitchen; the same kitchen that has been warping my mind for nearly thirty-five years.

Showing a touch of bottle age it is a beautiful crimson red colour. It smells delicate, floral and feminine (another way of saying subtle?); and has lovely spicy notes - think star anise, cinnamon and a lick of sweet fruit. It's soft, spicy and tastes of red fruits and spice, or to be more precise plums and fruit cake. Medium bodied; it's balanced and still maintaining a touch of freshness. Beautifully integrated and drinking well, Marinda Park Merlot 2001 doesn't smash you over the head; initially I thought it was a touch uninspiring, but in the end was one over by its stylish drinkability and lovely softness.

Visit winery website.

Wedding @ The W Hotel

2010-03-29T00:24:00.058+08:00

1 Austin Rd West, Kowloon Station, Kowloon
28th March 2010 I'm not sure if getting hitched is some sort of quasi fashion or if the school where I work is inundated with gooey lovebirds, but I do seem to get invited to a lot of weddings. Some I can't make, some I don't want to and then there are those that I go out of my way to be a part of. A good friend from work was celebrating her nuptials' and it was a gig I wasn't going to miss; even a day at the Rugby 7s and an early flight to Australia the next morning couldn't dampen my enthusiasm. The venue was the W Hotel; a spot that's usually too cool for my sad arse, but on this occasion it sleek styling seemed just right. Finding the front door was a bit of a mission as Elements would almost have to be the worst sign posted shopping centre in Hong Kong; but I eventually arrived, handed over my 'gift' and settled down with a drink. Maybe it was some sort of hint, but our table was in the furthest corner. One reason I'm often not enthusiastic about wedding banquets is the seemingly identical parade of average dishes that so often gets paraded. The food at the W Hotel was pretty traditional, though I was impressed with the general quality of all the dishes; most of which were top quality.
First off was the traditional roast suckling pig. When I got a glance at the little porker it looked good, but I was a bit disappointed when I was presented with what was basically crackling atop simple rice wafers. The thin skin was crisp and well seasoned; it was just a shame that there was basically no meat to accompany it. Next up was prawns with celery; good, tasty, but nothing exciting. This was followed a less traditional dish; baked crap with cheese. Served in the shell these were really enjoyable, especially as the cheese didn't dominate the sweet crab meat. Then it was a decent braised canopy stuffed inside some winter melon and accompanied by a hair ball that I was informed was sea moss.

There was shark fin next, which I choose not to eat it for ethical reasons. Following this was abalone, sea cucumber and bok choy. Surprisingly it was all pretty good and I even enjoyed the sea cucumber, something I usually can't see the point in eating. Next up was steamed garoupa; a real highlight. The moist fish was perfectly cooked and went down delightfully, while the chicken that followed was just as good. Roasted to perfection with succulent flesh, crisp skin and perfect seasoning this was my favourite dish of the night.

The fried rice with scallops and bacon was pretty good, while the noodles surpassed my expectations. My limited experiences point to a standard plate of e-fu smothered in starchy white sauce and a few prawns. This is probably my all time least favourite Cantonese dish and I was relieved when the W Hotel instead served us up braised e-fu with shrimp roe. The chewy noodles were perfectly cooked and the roe added an attractive flavour and interesting texture. To finish off it was a sweet soup featuring dried longan, red dates, lotus seeds and wolf berries. I'm not usually too fussed by sweet soups, but this was excellent. Sweet, yet refreshing it was a perfect cleansing finish to an almighty feast. The final course was 'Chinese petits fours'; in this case almond cookies and fried sesame dough. We were all too stuffed to eat another thing, but Joey's mum gave a positive report on the cookies I snuck out for her. The food was excellent, the company good and the W Hotel did a fine job, particularly with the attentive service, but that's all kind of irrelevant. I was there for a wedding and the wedding was what mattered. The bride looked lovely, the groom adequately nervous and smiles abounded; congratulations H and B.
Visit hotel website.

Another Great 7s, Another Average Pie

2010-03-28T08:53:00.019+08:00

Hong Kong Rugby Sevens
26th to 28th March 2010
'HK's biggest party', 'HK's biggest sporting event', 'HK's biggest debaucherest piss-up'; whatever you want to label the Rugby Sevens it always offers a memorable weekend. This year I watched a lot of games from the North Stand, a spot that offers a pretty good combination of beer, fun, views of the action and a drunken Welsh bloke. The results were excellent with Hong Kong winning the 'Shield', Canada the 'Bowl', Australia the 'Plate' (not just a great result because Australia won) and Samoa smashing New Zealand to take home the 'Cup'.

Even though I should have known better I still grabbed a pie, in what has become a bit of an annual tradition. Some of my friends swear by these pies, I think their judgement is impaired. Jugs of Pimms and roaring hangover can make almost any fatty food seem delicious and the fact that you're sitting in a packed stadium watching the footy also goes a long way to artificially improve the flavour of terrible pies. Despite all this, the pie I had was actually OK; a lot better than expected. The mince meat filling was hot and decently flavoured with bacon bits adding a bit of interest. However the pie was let down with thick, over cooked pastry, that made it resemble a meat filled biscuit more than a pie.

Visit event website.

Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei

2010-03-26T17:23:00.017+08:00

Rua Direita Carlos Eugenio, Taipa, Macau
Visited 20th March 2010Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei is famous for the same culinary treat that Macau is perhaps most famous for; the pork chop bun. A hot cooked pork chop, slapped in a white roll is a simple, but a beautiful thing; a treat that certainly meets my idea of a good time. Despite Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei's mammoth reputation I hesitated to visit for ages because of talk of the massive queue that greets the daily 3pm arrival of the buns. I'd heard plenty of stories of people waiting well over half an hour to try and get one before they sell out at around five. I was on day trip to Macau with a visiting mate and we wondered into Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei mid afternoon, where, despite the pulse of punters, we managed to snag a table.

We stuck with the crowd favourite as this was just meant to be a little snack to tie us over between lunch and sightseeing and the drinks (OK lots of drinks; we're talking flaming cocktails in skulls) and dinner that followed. The pork chop buns at Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei aren't massive, but where they excel is the flavour of the tender, marinated grilled pork. The unbuttered, unflavoured soft white roll is an excuse to soak up the delicious dripping pork juice (let's call it juice rather than fat shall we). It's such a simple but satisfying snack.

With tasty pork rolls at a bargain price of MOP16 each, what's not to like about Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kei? Well the queue is an obvious nuisance, and while you can't knock success, I wonder if the food's good or special enough to merit lining up for 30-40 minutes? I certainly wouldn't bother standing around so long for a sandwich, when plenty of other places offer similar (if perhaps not quite as good) fare. All that being said, I really do like Cafe Tai Lei Low Kei; the tasty food and outdoor setting in Taipa Old Town make for an authentic and fun stop. If you can grab a table or nab a bun without having to battle the crowds I'd seriously recommend it.

Little Ray of Sunshine

2010-03-26T13:23:00.016+08:00

Update from the Garden

Spring is in the air in Hong Kong and this rather lovely sunflower is an unexpected surprise. When I clean out my hamster's cage I use the waste as mulch on my garden. In case case an uneaten seed for my hamster is a win for the rest of us.

Grant Burge 'Holy Trinity' 2004

2010-03-23T06:53:00.016+08:00

Barossa Valley, £18.75, cork seal

Grant Burge's entry level Benchmark wines seem to be in every restaurant in Hong Kong, yet I don't think I've ever seen any of their other wines sold here. They are a family owned, Barossa based company. I've got a sketchy memory of trying to taste their whole range on a drunken cellar door visit back in 2002; I certainly can't remember any of the wines and if the bloke who was working happens to stumble across this "I'm sorry". This Rhone style blend is a composed of 46% Grenache, 32% Shiraz and 22% Mourvèdre all from vines between 50 and 120 years old.

Man, Mourvèdre is a distinctive smelling grape; to me the dusty, coco like aromas on this are strikingly obvious. While it doesn't jump out of the glass, I'm also able to pick up blueberries, plum jam and a sprinkle of dried herbs; attractive but not earth shattering. For a Barosian red it's not overly rich; the palate starts out with green, herbal flavours and moves through to red fruits and then, well then nothing, it pulls up pretty short. I drank this with the boys at New York Cafe and they labelled it as very 'new world', while it's not so in weight, body and intensity the fruit flavours that are there are very sweet jammy. The tannin is soft and integrated and it's got a certain food-friendly drinkability to it, however, I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but this left me pretty underwhelmed.

Visit winery website.

Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut

2010-03-23T06:13:00.008+08:00

Reims, Champagne, cork

Yep my mother's in town and out come the bubbles. This non vintage offer from Piper-Heidsieck is made from 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 15% Chardonnay and spends at least 24 months on lees (I think - there pretentious website - one of the worst I've seen - has absolutely no meaningful information).This is a pretty golden colour with relatively fine, persistent bubbles. It smells pleasant with lots of lemon along with yeasty bread, pear and red apples. The palate’s smooth, long and tasty. It’s dominated by a lemony, citrus flavour, though to be honest it’s pretty simple with not much else going on. With just the slightest hint of sweetness this is certainly a nice enough drink, however it isn’t particularly complex of interesting. Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut is just OK la; from a region that’s meant to be the pinnacle of sparkling wine it doesn’t excite me and certainly is worth the money. Yet again, I sadly find myself underwhelmed by Champagne.

Visit winery's rather wanky website.

Sultan Restaurant

2010-03-21T23:06:00.013+08:00

Baiyun Hotel, 367 Huan Shi East Rd, Guangzhou, China
Visited 21st March 2010
Guangzhou's a bit of a trip for lunch, but Sunday morning I found myself sitting on the train for a farwell visit to see friends who are returning to Australia. Given that they are leaving town in a couple of weeks the lunch spot was their choice and rather unexpectedly i found myself at Sultan; a Turkish restaurant near the Baiyun Hotel and shopping centre. This place is one shinny joint; decked out in over the top sparkles even the washrooms are dripping in bling.

The menu contains all the classics you'd expect from traditional Turkish cuisine with plenty of dips, bread, salads and grilled meat. My friends ordered up a feast to share that included eggplant dip, tabbouleh, a 'double puff' pita, a 'Sultan' pide, grilled lamb with hummus and mixed mini Turkish pizzas. The eggplant dip was OK, though it needed a little more seasoning for my palate, I liked the creamy hummus, but my favourite dip was the complementary garlic sauce that was made from ultra fluffy whipped yogurt. The massive 'double puff' pita was close to two foot long and delicious straight from the oven. I didn't think much of rather boring, basic 'pizzas', but loved the extremely tasty 'Sultan' pide that oozed with feta, spinach and cheese. The slithers of flavoursome grilled lamb were good while the mint and parsley in the tabbouleh offered the meal contrast with its freshness. The guys at Sultan don't serve alcohol so lunch was a boozeless affair, but with all that food I was happy with simple glass of water.

I really enjoyed lunch at Sultan. The food was pretty authentic, tasty and, at RMB80 a head, good value considering how stuffed we were when we left. The staff did a good job and my only concern is that you may need to wear sun glasses when using the facilities. Sultan Restaurant certainly isn't what you expect for a typical visit to Guangzhou, but for those looking for something a bit different it’s worth a shot. Visit restaurant website.

Metcalfe Valley Sauvignon 2008

2010-03-21T21:06:00.017+08:00

Metcalfe, Macedon Ranges, screwtop

A mate of mine’s involved with this venture and when I returned to Australia at Christmas I was generously handed this and the Metcalfe Valley Shiraz 2006. I enjoyed the 2007 edition of this a lot and was therefore pretty keen to try this recent version, stylish new label and all. Apart from Sauvignon Blanc grown at the Metcalfe Valley Vineyard this also contains 12% Semillon and 3% Chardonnay sourced from the Yarra Valley and Port Philip (a zone that includes Mornington, Geelong, Macedon, Sunbury and the Yarra Valley).

This smells absolutely delicious; there’s lime and passionfruit, but also a yeasty/ bready element that reminds of good sparkling wine. Tasting this I liked the zippy citrus and richer stone fruit flavours, but what really blew me away was its minerality. Wow this wine is sure a surprise packet; it reminds me more of Chardonnay and Old World Chardonnay at that. Long, balanced and possessing such exciting minerality this makes me wonder why so many in Australia bother with that pungent gunk from across the Tasman. The label’s better than the 2007 and the wine is even more so; Metcalfe Valley Sauvignon 2008 is excellent stuff.

Visit winery website.

Snap Shot Hong Kong Flower Show 2010

2010-03-21T07:28:00.014+08:00

HK International Flower Show, Vic Park, Causeway Bay
Visited 20th March 2010

Yep it's that time year again. My visit to last year's Hong Kong International Flower Show was a very strange experience and things this year were just as wacky. Rather than slip in on a quite Tuesday night before rugby training, we headed over whack, bang in the middle of Saturday afternoon. Yes this was a mistake. Yes it was way, way, way too crowded. Oh, and yes the displays were just as ... 'interesting'. The theme this was Cineraria.
We found this cute little fellow accompany the dancing pandas in the Ocean Park display.
A couple of the big beds featured Dianthus; it looked spectacular on mass.The bonsais grabbed my interest this year; definitely the least garish and my favourite part of the show.
Ho, ho, ho a happy, dancing tiger.
You've got to love the photographic potential of Hydrangeas.
Floral crab with moving claws; awesome.

Visit event website.

Luk Yu Tea House

2010-03-18T14:02:00.039+08:00

24 Stanley St, Central
Visited 17th March 2010
My mother is visiting with a friend and after an afternoon on the Peak I thought I'd take them somewhere quintessentially Cantonese for their first meal in town. As we were in Central Yuen Kee seemed the obvious choice, but I've been somewhat unimpressed on my last couple of visits so instead thought it was time to try Luk Yu Tea House. This place has been around since 1933 and in many ways still looks like a restaurant of that era. The decor is fantastic with old wooden furniture, antiques and a classic 'old-school' charm. While it is famous for its dim sum the restaurant gained a touch of infamousness in 2002 when tycoon Harry Lam Hon-lit, was shot at point-blank range while eating breakfast.

Specialising in dim sum during the day Luk Yu Tea House is very Cantonese in flavour. We ordered roast pigeon, sauteed squid, barbecue pork, shredded beef and vegetables. The fragrant roast pigeon was really tasty and enjoyable start. Next was a plate of fresh squid that oozed freshness; simply wok-tossed with ginger, capsicum and spring onion, though there wasn't really enough squid on the plate for my liking. My mum's an extremely fussy eater, but the shredded beef was her favourite, though simply tossed with spring onions I thought it a touch bland. The barbecue pork was tasty; however the serve that we got presented with was tiny. To finish it was a plate of crisp choi sum; this was the most disappointing dish as the freshness of the crisp vegetables was lost in a massive glug of starchy oyster-sauce based dressing. We after a bottle of vino but were told that they don't sell wine, which was strange as they had quite a collection of wine bottles on display...
So what did I think? Was Luk Yu Tea House as good as its reputation? First up I really did enjoy the food; it was well prepared and freshness and quality of the ingredients was obvious. The portions were all pretty small and though tasty I thought it was all a touch overpriced. Grumpy, old waiters are a common stereotype associated with Chinese restaurants and the fossils on display at Luk Yu Tea House were the worst I've ever seen. The bloke who served us was rude, arrogant and totally unhelpful; he even had the guile to tell us that he'd prefer his tip in cash rather than added to the credit card bill. I'd certainly be interested in trying the dim sum at Luk Yu Tea House, but the service was so disgusting that I can't see why I'd bother returning for another serve of condescending arrogance dished up by rude waiters.

Decanter on Chinese Wine

2010-03-14T23:51:00.026+08:00

'Chinese Wine: Pie in the Sky?'
Decanter, April 2010, p.60-63
China's role as a rising wine market has been in the media a lot recently. I suppose that for a country of 1.3 billion even a 0.001% increase in consumption must be perceived as a boon for struggling wine exporters around the world. Yet despite all this salivating about China as a potential export market the vast majority of wine drunk there is still locally produced. Edward Ragg's article in Decanter turns away from speculation on China as a wine consumer and rather looks at China as wine producer.

Visiting a Chinese supermarket isn't necessarily my idea of a good time, but if you ever manage to barge through to the wine aisle you'll be greeted with row after row of Great Wall Cabernet, along with a small international selection of which Jacob's Creek is normally the choice offering. China is the World's sixth largest producer of wine, yet we rarely hear a thing about these home grown drops. The reason for this lack of acknowledgement is perhaps simple; the wine normally sucks. I try to taste a bit of Chinese wine and am regularly disappointed; the vast majority of reds are undrinkable, though the whites, when young, can be more palatable.
Ragg's article is an interesting account of Chinese wine production. He discusses the differences between the big three companies (Changyu, Dynasty and Great Wall - who have much of the market stitched up) and the smaller more boutique operations that benefit from foreign investment and wine makers. Casting a critical eye over China's established vineyard areas problems of frost, storms and humidity are mentioned, though some of these are offset by an abundant supply of cheap and plentiful labour. Ragg also makes an interesting point about China's the obsession with Cabernet Sauvignon, a grape he argues that is responsible for many of its unripe, bitter reds; he suggests that Merlot, Gamay and Tempranillo would be more sensible alternatives . I enjoyed the article that I thought offered a fair summary of the state of this massive country. As a Hong Kong resident I'd love to see the Chinese wine industry come online; how good would it be having an abundance of locally produced, good value wine available just across the border?

Vincent Sauvestre Chablis 2007

2010-03-14T22:12:00.019+08:00

La Chapelle Vaupelteigne, Chablis, $138, cork

I can't believe my fish haven't featured here before; it's time that the little darlings appeared in a few posts. This is the basic Chablis on sale at Park n Shop and I thought I give it a go when I saw it discounted from its supposed usual price to $98. The commune of La Chapelle Vaupelteigne where this comes from is on the right bank of the River Serein where chalky soils dominate. Having a look online it appears that this same wine is sold by Marks and Spencer in the UK. Vincent Sauvestre Chablis 2007 is a lovely golden colour. Initially it’s all big, bold and surprisingly tropical, but as it warms in the glass it smells more citrusy. It tastes rich and lush, with flavours of cantaloupe, honeydew melon, peach, more citrus and just a hint minerality. Initially I described it as “creamy”, but scribbled this out and replaced it with “full” and “round”. It’s a well balanced wine with a persistent finish that has just a hint of sugar. I drank the last couple of glasses at room temperature which really showed off its smoothness. It’s a quality wine, but unfortunately not as 'Chablisesque' as I was expecting - it could have been mistaken for a New World Chardonnay - good juice though.

Visit Winery website.

Mandala Pinot Noir 2007

2010-03-12T08:46:00.014+08:00

Yarra Valley, Victoria, A$19.95, screwtop

I grabbed this at Tullamarine Airport returning from a recent trip to Australia. I found it interesting that I’d purchased Yarra and Tasmanian Pinot, Claire and Tassie Riesling and a sticky; yet not a single South Australian red. Maybe it’s a reflection of personal taste or just a response to what’s difficult to find in Hong Kong, but these tend to be the styles I'm leaning towards. Anyway the Mandela Winery is located in the Yarra Valley’s Dixon Creek, though the fruit for this is sourced from their high elevated vineyard at Yarra Junction.

This is obviously Pinot on the nose, simple but with plenty of bright red fruit, especially cherries. Like most mid-week tipples I drunk this over two nights and it changed dramatically. On the first evening I thought it was pretty decent with plenty of cherry, plum and a hint of rubber. However on day two things went downhill dramatically; the nose lost its vibrancy and the palate was dominated by overpowering smoke and char. I’d assume this wine is a result of a poor growing season where fires ravaged the Yarra. I wouldn’t recommend this though I’d assume other vintages would be better.

Visit winery website.

A Cornish Wedding

2010-03-09T14:20:00.023+08:00

Trevenna, St Neot, Cornwall
6th March 2010 I've got an exceptionally small family, so for those of my gene pool a family wedding is something not to be missed. When my cousin decided to tie the knot she was the first of my generation to do so and thus instigated the first family wedding in close to thirty-five years. Forty-eight hours for a return trip to the UK is never going to be fun, but when you're got to get to the wilds of Cornwall it becomes somewhat epic. After over eighteen hours of plane, tube, train and car travel I eventually arrived at St Neot and basically stepped straight into a wedding.

You could argue that Bodmin Moor in the middle of winter probably isn't a prime location for a wedding, but the low sun, morning frost, russet coloured bracken and shaggy moorland ponies all helped to create a spectacular backdrop. The venue was the impressive Trevenna, a restored farm house that has been turned into a well run bed and breakfast come function centre. Eating at wedding is often a matter of necessity rather than delight, but the food at Trevenna was excellent. Based upon local ingredients it was simple but tasty grub. First course was pan seared Cornish Mackerel with thyme and ginger; a tasty dish that bought back memories of a summer ten years ago when I spent a lot of time Mackerel fishing off the Devon coast. For a main I'd selected the Trevenna's beef stew; a hearty dish that was perfect for a chilly winter weather. Dessert was another English classic; sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream. Unfortunately I was rather distracted and only remembered to snap a picture of the Mackerel. This was a Cornish affair and there were no surprises when the homemade pasties came out later in evening to rave reviews and general appreciation.

I've mentioned the food, the venue and the prick of a trip, but what about the wedding itself; the beautiful bride, the crying family, the memorable speeches? It was of course a magical evening. My cousin looked fantastic and even her fellow managed to scrub up OK. Everything went perfectly and it really was one an event to remember and an evening I'm so glad I managed to be a part of. Congratulations Jen and welcome to the family Mat.

Olly Smith's Drink Tank

2010-03-06T15:22:00.014+08:00

Wine Videos on YouTube

I've just noticed British comedian and wine lover Olly Smith's new series of videos on YouTube. Titled Drink Tank the five minute videos introduce different styles of wine in fun and accessible way. Though primarily aimed at those new to wine, the videos are definitely worth checking out as their light hearted and over-the-top manner will raise a smile.

Visit the YouTube channel.

Pacific Grill

2010-02-27T10:23:00.046+08:00

4 Staunton St, Soho
Visited 26th February 2010

I met a couple of friends for dinner Friday night and decided to try the Pacific Grill. Having got distracted by the delights of happy hour, we arrived late without a booking, but the friendly manager found us a small table at the restaurant’s open front. The restaurant is small, almost crowded, but is rather pleasant tucked away on the high side of Staunton St. It’s owned by the same crowd who run Al Dente and Sahara.
Pacific Grill offers a couple of salads and pastas, but the focus is obviously on steaks and seafood. I'm guessing someone here is Australian with a 'Melbourne' Greek salad and egg, beetroot and pineapple topping the burger. We decided to start by sharing an octopus and squid salad. This dish consisted of mini squid and octopus smothered in a sticky red sauce and served atop a few lettuce leaves. While my mate enjoyed it I thought it was pretty average; the sticky sauce took any freshness away from the dish, while the simple lettuce leaves were boring. For mains it was all about big chunks of meat; my friends went with a 200g rib-eye and "mega" 300g sirloin, while I couldn't resist going a little retro with surf ‘n’ turf. My 200g fillet mignon was topped with a single prawn; though it was char-grilled and tasty, one prawn really isn't much and I felt a bit ripped off. Accompanying this lonely crustacean was a totally flavourless steak along with mash and a few chunks of vegetable (the identical, boring sides that concerned me at Al Dente long ago). For a restaurant that specialises in steaks, what was on my plate was a really disappointing, poor quality meat. My friend offered me a taste of her rib-eye and it was better, being tenderer and actually tasting like beef. To drink a bottle of red would have been good, but my friends are both white drinkers, so we ended up with a bottle of Peter Lehmann 'Stump Jump' White, an interesting Riesling based blend with Chardonnay and Marsanne added to the mix. It was a nice drop though the mark-up on the $265 they charged was ridicules.

I was uninspired by the Pacific Grill. The octopus salad and my steak were both average, though the mouthful of my friend’s rib-eye was better. The friendly guy who initially seated us was really switched on – he let me try the couple of wines they had by the glass to see which we wanted a bottle of - however the lady who was waitressing was unfriendly and created a bit of a negative vibe. Soho is never going to be cheap and the rib-eye was $165, while my mate’s sirloin and my ‘tough turf n a little surf’ were both $195. While probably what you expect to pay in this part of the world it wasn’t particularly good value as the quality just wasn’t there. The Pacific Grill did absolutely nothing to inspire me and I can’t imagine I’ll bother coming back.

Visit restaurant website.

Snap Shot New York City

2010-02-22T12:41:00.013+08:00

Visit to New York
14th to 20th February 2010

For a city so ingrained in popular culture it was strange that I didn't have too many expectations of what to expect in New York, though arriving from the dessert of Nevada to one of the worst snow storms in American history was a bit of a shock. I have several good friends in New York and they all helped to make the experience a memorable one.
Empire State Building, Stars and Stripes; here I am.
A hot corned beef sandwich on sourdough; I just wish the coffee was as good.
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art really is a spectacular place to spend a snowy afternoon.
Tobogganing in Central Park.
While it wasn't warm, it was beautiful. I was almost expecting Mr Tumnus to appear.
Looking back at Manhattan Island from the Staten Island Ferry.
I'm sure we all recognise this fine lady.
Of course sampled a slice of New York pizza or two.
Construction is just beginning at the site of World Trade Centre and tragic September 11 bombings.The view from my mate's office; looking north from Wall Street.

McSorley's Old Ale House

2010-02-19T12:31:00.018+08:00

15 East 7th Street, New York
Visited 18th February 2010

McSorley's Old Ale House is the oldest continuous running pub in New York and perhaps the United States. It was founded by Irishman John McSorley in 1854 and has remarkably be pouring out the same beer ever since. I'd organised to meet some friends for lunch here and really didn't know what to expect. The sawdust on the floor impressed me, as did the rustic wooded tables, stained with beer from year-a-year. This place was packed with fascinating memorabilia and apparently they have never removed anything from the walls. There wasn't a hint of the 'circus' aspect so often found in places of this nature (just look at the Hong Kong chain with the same name). I arrived first and must have looked a little confused as I stood at the bar. The bartender threw me a knowing smile as he quietly asked "light or dark". Yep that's it folks McSorley's just serves two drinks; both their own, original recipe beer (though I do think they also sell sodas). Starting with a light I was presented with TWO sloshing glasses of a creamy, gutsy larger. My mate, who had eventually managed to sneak out of the office, explained the theory behind the two three quarter full glasses rather than a single full one was to make pouring faster in peak periods. We switched to the more full and rich dark ale and managed to get through quite a few. OK so I was impressed with the setting, impressed with the beer, but how was the food? To be honest I've got no idea. I met my mate for lunch, I saw a chalkboard advertising sandwiches, but apart from sharing a plate of cheese and crackers, it somehow ended up being a liquid lunch. McSorley's Old Ale House could have so easily become a tourist trap, but it wasn't. This place really was an authentic old school pub; most of the drinkers were regulars and there wasn't a souvenir t-shirt in sight. I loved the simple beer selection, I loved the two half filled handles and I would have dearly loved to have tried the food. I had a blinder of a time at McSorley's and will remember it fondly when I think of New York.

Visit pub website.

Basketball + Hot Dog = USA

2010-02-18T12:34:00.018+08:00

Knicks vs. Bulls, Madison Square Garden
17th February 2010
From Vegas it was onto New York and after a couple of days of sightseeing, snow and culture it was time for a night out. A New Yorker mate had organised tickets to the basketball and I was one excited camper. As a kid I grew up watching the NBA and was excited to be seeing my first game. I was also pretty pumped to be visiting the iconic Madison Square Garden, a venue that had somehow found a place in my heart because of its appearance in one of very favourite movies; the 1980s classic Highlander.
We had beers beforehand, beers afterwards and big plastic cups of beer during the game. I was in America watching sport and drinking beer, there was only one thing I could do; eat a hotdog. The dog itself was an average affair; a flavourless sausage, stale bread and disgustingly synthetic 'cheese', and 'pickle' toppings. Despite a good first half by the Knicks at the final buzzer it was a win for the Bulls, a headache for me the next day and one very fun night.

Snap Shot Vegas

2010-02-15T01:49:00.023+08:00

Visit to Las Vegas
11th to 14th February 2010

Chinese New Year, a mate's birthday and suddenly I was off to Vegas. It wasn't a trip I'd planned, it wasn't a trip I was even sure I wanted to make, but one thing was for sure, I was going to have fun. The classic unwritten rule of all unwritten rules clearly states: "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", but I thought I'd still better show you a couple of snaps of some of the more, argh ... 'level 1' rated moments of my trip.
Welcome to Vegas - the sun rises over the strip.
First call is a helicopter trip with stunning views of the Nevada dessert, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon.Hoover Dam with Lake Mead behind.We landed in the Grand Canyon for brunch. It was rugged, arid and truly awe inspiring.Looking up 'The Strip' from the air. Caesars Palace sparkling away.
The impressive fountains at Bellagio. The spectacular view of the dessert from my hotel room window; sometimes it's worth getting up early in Vegas.
The Roller-coaster at New York-New York.All the pretty lights of Vegas by night. This shot is taken from the bar at the top of the Palms.
Party time at the Palm's massive club Rain.

Hooters Las Vegas

2010-02-12T12:22:00.033+08:00

115 E. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Visited 11th February 2010

If you could choose to go anywhere in the whole world to celebrate your 30th birthday where would it be? Well it was my mate's 30th and here we all were celebrating with lunch in Hooters Bar, Las Vegas. I know, I know; what can you say? This ''restaurant' is located in the Casino of the same name, one block bag from the Strip on East Tropicana Avenue. The bar is decked out with plenty of rustic wood panelling and TVs blaring sports.
What delicious culinary treats were on offer at Hooters? Well fried gunk might be a bit harsh so let's just say there were wings, wings and more wings supported by a couple of burgers and the token quasi healthy salad selection. I was pretty uninspired by it all and just shared a plate of chicken wings with a mate. We were given a choice of ten sauces, as well as how hot we wanted the little flappers and if we wanted them breaded or 'naked' and with or without bones. We went for 'hot', breaded and boneless with barbecue sauce. When they arrived I ate them but didn't really enjoy them; the breading on the outside was thick and congealed, while the sauce was disgustingly sticky and sweet. To drink it was jugs of beer and they at least went down rather well.

I didn't particularly enjoy the food at Hooters, but the experience was pleasant enough; cold beers on a sunny afternoon are always a good thing. Its staff selection policy means Hooters is pretty famous for its, well its ... staff. Ignoring the obvious I was actually pretty impressed with the service; the waitress who looked after us was helpful and explained the menu choices. When they discovered it was my mate's birthday they suitably embarrassed him with singing, handclapping and candle studded cake. Hooters was just as terrible as I expected; filthy fried food, overpriced and oh so, so tacky it was everything I don't want in a bar, yet I was in Circus Vegas and so on the other hand it was a beautiful thing; filthy, fried food, overpriced and so, so tacky it was just like everyone wants Vegas to be. I was at the home of tack and Hooters fitted all the stereotypes.

Visit restaurant website.

Enio Ottaviani 'Novecento 28' 2007

2010-02-05T07:30:00.018+08:00

San Clemente, Emilia-Romagna, $128, cork

In Hong Kong shopping is king and I'm not sure whether I should be ashamed or proud that I was able to purchase this within the confines of the Yuen Long West Rail train station. Goodwell where I found this provides me with pasta, dried fruit, all things tinned and in this case a bottle of plonk. It's an IGT wine from the often poorly rated area of Emilia-Romagna. Produced by a family company based near San Giovanni in Marignano, a town 120km south of Bologna, it is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour is dark, rich and red (though I'm not sure why I bother telling you this). There’re big aromas all over the shop; it smells of spice (cinnamon and star anise), red fruit, cherry bubble gum and strangely enough oats. The palate’s all about sweet fruit with flavours of strawberry jam, cherries and plums, though there’s also a touch of mocha. This is well put together with big, chewy tannins and a full, rich feel in the mouth. I enjoyed drinking Enio Ottaviani 'Novecento 28' 2007, but to be honest it felt a little generic and boring; I was expecting Italy and instead got 'IGT Red Wine'.

Visit winery website.

Snap Shot Windows on the World

2010-02-01T23:29:00.016+08:00

Visit to Windows of the World
31st January 2010

The night before we'd stayed in a cruise ship parked in the middle of a golf course, today we were off to a theme park to see 130 of the World's biggest tourist attractions. I'd heard strange things about this place, but it really was a weird setup; a 108m 'Eiffel Tower' dominates the skyline, while pyramids sit next to an African villages and Mt Fuji huddles beside the Taj Mahal.
Mt Fuji put in context by Shenzhen's residential towers.
This Japanese garden looses a lot of its appeal once you realise the flowers are all plastic.
A decent replica of Angkor Wat.
A rather less regal version of the Valley of the Kings.
The Sphinx and Pyramids. This young girl isn't just in the photo because she is wearing cool sunglasses, but she also adds perspective to these really rather puny monuments.
I'm not sure what the "danger" is, but you've got Venice and the Eiffel Tower in the same snap.
Australia wasn't forgotten with this lovely version of the Sydney Opera House.
Uluru seemed to have attracted a crowd of exhausted sightseers.
To complete the day we headed into the indoor ski slope for the most fun I had all day.

Visit theme park's website or read about it at Wikipedia.

Hunan Renjia Restaurant

2010-02-01T16:06:00.026+08:00

Taizi Plaza, Taizi Road, Shekou, Shenzhen
Visited 31st January 2010
Sunday morning in Shekou and before the strangeness got even weirder with a visit to Windows on the World we decided brunch was in order. A stroll around the plaza at Sea World didn't come up with many exciting options so we wondered across the street and found this little place tucked away on the first floor of a building off a small mall. I'm not totally sure of the address in English, but in Chinese it is '南山蛇口太子路太子廣場'. The restaurant is a pretty big space, though it's relatively dark and even at this early stage of the day there was the mandatory filthy cloud of cigarette smoke.

I'm no expert on Hunan cuisine, but apparently it's all about garlic, shallots and lots and lots of chilli. The menu had English translations and once we saw the bargain prices we ordered in a greedy frenzy. Our 'quiet' brunch suddenly consisted of steamed chicken with garlic, cellophane noodles, dumplings and beans with pork. First off arrived a big bowl of sweet potato based cellophane noodles; simply served with a light chill dressing these slippery noodles were filling and tasty. Next came half a steamed chicken smothered in a mountain of garlic, chilli and an oily soy based sauce; this dish was packed with intense flavour and was really tasty. I couldn't work out what type of beans we got, but the big green monsters were crisp and tasty. Accompanied by pork, garlic and again lots of chilli I really liked this dish. Our final order was a plate of dumplings ... twenty dumplings, yes twenty. We were already stuffed at this stage, but these steamed parcels were stuffed with pork and chives and while good, were nothing memorable.

I'm really glad we stumbled across Hunan Renjia Restaurant. I enjoyed trying the tastes and flavours of Hunan, though I'm not too sure how often I could handle the hit of garlic and chilli that seems such a key element of this style of cuisine. Our tasty meal was excellent value at just over RMB100 for a mountain of food. The service was good, though the food was pretty slow to come out. Hunan Renjia Restaurant offers an authentic alternative to the coffee chains and western restaurants around the Sea World area.

Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant

2010-02-01T16:01:00.032+08:00

1-4, Seaworld Plaza, Taizi Rd, Shekou, Shenzhen
Visited 30th January 2010
Shenzhen is usually pretty high on my list of 'places I can't see the bloody point in visiting', but the need for a night away meant that Joey and I headed across the really sexily named 'Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor Cable-Stayed Bridge Bridge' and into a world of weirdness. We stayed at the Cruise Inn; a strange, strange place in the expat enclave of Shekou. The hotel is really an old cruise ship that's been dumped on dry land; there are bizarre views of a golf course and shops out the portholes. For dinner we took a recommendation from a mate and tried Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant. This Japanese joint is located out the front of the hotel in the Seaworld Plaza; an area where bars and Italian restaurants jostle with branches of bad international coffee chains. The restaurant is scattered with individual teppanyaki grills surrounded on by bar style seating.

Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant offers an all you can eat and drink dinner option for RMB150 that sounded like a bargain to good to refuse. While we waited for our chef to appear we were bought a number of nibbly snacks including some OK tempura and eel sushi. The deal basically includes everything on the menu apart from wagyu beef and lobster. We munched our way through a fair bit including scallops, prawns, steak, lamb chops, chicken and mushrooms. The food was well cooked and tasty and I particularly enjoyed prawns and tasty lamb. My only complaint would be the lack of variety in the seasonings - it would have been nice to have seen the chef use something other than a mix of garlic, soy and wine that flavoured all the dishes in the same way. Included with the deal was plenty of cold, free flowing Asahi, a mystery red I didn't try and a surprisingly palatable Great Well White.
China can offer pretty mixed results in the eating and drinking department, but I really enjoyed my visit to Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant. The staff were extremely efficient and I was impressed with how we were kept topped up with both food and booze. We weren't rushed at all and as we didn't feel any pressure to leave it was great to be able to just kick back, chat, drink and enjoy the odd freshly prepared little barbecued snack. Though it certainly wasn't the most exciting or innovative Japanese food I've ever had it was all well prepared and tasty. At RMB150 Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant seemed to offer a bit of a bargain, especially considering the amount we ate and drunk. My only problem was the filthy clouds of cigarette smoke exhaled by the rude and ignorant, but that's just a hazard of being in China and nothing against this restaurant. I had a fun night at Tairyo Teppanyaki Restaurant and would love to come back with a big group for a boozy night out across 'Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor Cable-Stayed Bridge Bridge'.

Challenge Shield Final

2010-01-31T21:26:00.025+08:00

Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield Final
30th January 2010

Hong Kongers apparently love football, but this seems to only go as far as betting on the overpaid posers who play for the big European clubs. I don't really love football, but do enjoy watching live sport and as a result spend a bit of time drinking cans of Kingway while watching the mighty Tin Shui Wai 'Pegasus'. This Saturday was the final of the Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield, a knockout competition that has been running since 1896. Even though the Flying Horse didn't make it, a mate and I still trundled out to the wilds of Chai Wan to check out the action. I didn't take any photos on the day so the snap below is of TSW playing at home in Yuen Long. Kitchee were playing the ever popular and successful South China. I hadn't been to Chai Wan before - it's not really convenient to Yuen Long - but the airy Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground was a decent stadium and the Kingway was cold. The only thing that disappointed me was the tiny crowd and thousands of empty seats. The game was exciting with goals, yellow cards and controversial refereeing decisions aplenty. South China defeated Kitchee 4 to 2, but the real winners were those who bothered to get out of bed or leave the shopping mall to actually watch a bit of live sport. Hong Kongers apparently love football, it's just a shame they never bother to watch it; that the stadiums are empty and the local teams go unsupported.

Visit HKFA website.

Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant

2010-01-31T15:18:00.026+08:00

2 Landale St, Wan Chai
Visited 30th January 2010 A mate and I decided we needed a little substance before heading to Chai Wan to watch the HK Senior Challenge Shield final. Meeting in Wan Chai he suggested we head to Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant, a little place hidden away with all the other little places on Landale St. Inside it was all pretty basic and we grabbed a table squashed amongst all the others.
I enjoy really the freshness and vibrancy of Vietnamese food however the menu here seems to be all about plates of rice. We decided to share satay beef noodles, spring rolls and pork with mint. I know they're unadventurous, but I love Vietnamese style fried spring rolls. The ones we got were good - crisp, but not oily - the little nuggets of love went down a treat wrapped in lettuce and accompanied by tasty homemade dipping sauce. Next were the noodles with satay beef; the big serve of rice noodles came in a clump topped with the beef, capsicum and onions that had been tossed with a satay sauce. This dish was just OK as the sauce lacked flavour and whole thing was pretty bland. Next was a plate of stir-fried chicken with 'mint'. Fresh herbs are one of the things I love most about Vietnamese food and here they helped to add vibrancy to the dish, though it was basic it was pretty tasty. We were told that they didn't sell beer so made do with a can of soft drink. Our lunch at Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant was pretty good. The food was certainly nothing special, but offered a pretty filling feed and I was only really unimpressed with the satay noodles. The service was efficient enough and $75 we each paid for lunch seemed fair, though not necessarily a bargain. Though everything about Sun Chuk Yuen Vietnamese Restaurant was kind of OK I can't really see the point of returning; there must be more interesting Vietnamese places around Wan Chai?

Hachiouji

2010-01-27T15:54:00.030+08:00

22 Ashley Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
Visited 26th January 2010 I've got a pretty standard pro-forma for writing up restaurants and if you look closely you’ll usually find half a sentence that mentions the setting/design/atmosphere at the bottom of the first paragraph. Hachiouji, a little Japanese place on Ashley Road, however deserves a little more than that, as honestly it resembles a toyshop more than a restaurant. The big elephant at the door gives a hint of things to come and inside the walls are chocked full of Japanese nostalgia. It’s stuffed with models, toys, games, posters and adverts from yesteryear; all very cool.

The menu is really just your generic Japanese with selections of everything ranging from teriyaki and tempura to soba and sushi. We decided to share a bowl of udon, mixed tempura, grilled chicken wings, and a sushi roll with pork. We also had a last minute order of barbecued ox tongue after watching our neighbours devour a serve. The small bowl of udon came simply served with a seaweed garnish, but they were well cooked and tasty. The tempura consisted of a single prawn, mushroom, chilli and piece of sweet potato; it was OK, but could have been a tad crisper. The four tiny chicken wings were pretty average and lacked flavour, both from the marinade and the grilling. Stuffed with plenty of grilled pork and lettuce the sushi was pretty good, as was the well seasoned, tasty ox-tongue. To drink I made the most of happy hour and enjoyed a big bottles of Asahi, while Joey stuck to tea.
I enjoyed most of the food at Hachiouji, especially the udon and ox-tongue, however the dishes were tiny and I left feeling a bit ripped off. Just because the walls are covered in toys it doesn't mean that you should be given children's sized serves. Our bill was $286 and I thought $55 especially expensive for four pieces of tempura and the tiny bowl of udon a joke at $62. The service was OK, though when paying I had to remind them that my drink should have been at the happy hour price. For those with nostalgic memories of a Japanese childhood Hachiouji is worth it for a walk down memory lane, but for you average Aussie kid who dreams of fishing and footy there's better value to be had elsewhere.

Don & Petie Kladstrup ‘Champagne’

2010-01-27T10:06:00.023+08:00

2005, Harper Collins; New York

This book is subtitled ‘How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times’ and is more about a concept than a drink. Champagne as a beverage is discussed very little; the authors don't mention aromas, flavour or anything resembling a tasting note. Instead the focus is on Champagne as the product of a place, Champagne as a product of marketing, Champagne as an economic unit, Champagne as politics and Champagne as a collection of shared histories.

Starting in the middle-ages the authors move through the history of the region, bringing their account alive through tales of the vibrant characters that have emerged to shape Champagne’s reputation. While many of the stories are enlightening and enjoyable what I found most interesting is the historic links made to the Champagne of today. The emergence of marketing, the pressures of global trade and international markets, environmental concerns, the role of scientific development, relationships between the growers and the big houses and the AOC rules are all put into historic perspective by the Kladstrups.

Champagne is a drink that mystifies me. It is just as much a product of marketing as it is of terroir; promoting itself as “the drink to celebrate with” has been the key to Champagne’s success. The majority of Champagne is also the product of large companies who are in many ways are the anti-thesis of traditional French wine making; specific terroir and vintage are ignored in the aim of consistency (well at least for the NV offerings that us poor mortals can still barely afford to drink). The Kladstrups successfully use engaging historical accounts and tales of key personalities to weave an entertaining and informative picture of Champagne. Though it is more a book about history rather than wine, Champagne is certainly worth a read for anyone interested in the bubbly juice.

Visit publisher's website.

Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2007

2010-01-26T09:05:00.015+08:00

Tuscany, $79 (375ml), cork seal

I'm loving the well priced half bottle for a little weeknight tipple. This Chianti Classico comes from the Mazzei owned Castello di Fonterutoli and has been in their family for nearly six hundred years. The wine is predominately Sangiovese with 5% Malvasia Nera, 5% Colorino and 5% Merlot thrown into the mix.
This smells seriously seductive: it's perfumed and exotic and all floral and spicy. There are also attractive hints of cherry, boyensberry and charcuterie. The palate is riding the black cherry train with plenty of delicious fruit, but also a lovely savouriness that echoes dried oregano. This is a pretty smartly put together with plenty of good, grippy tannin that is balanced by crisp acidity; it's persistent as well. I like Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2007; it's one sexy little wine.

Visit winery website.

Taking it to the Streets

2010-01-25T10:12:00.016+08:00

HK Magazine 15th January 2010
This blog is so far behind that I'm basically ignoring posts tagged with 'media watch'. So despite the temporal irrelevance of this post I still thought it was time to stop and pay tribute to HK Magazine. For a rag you pick up for free in bars the quality of the reporting is generally excellent and the paper as whole isn't afraid to grapple with controversial issues. Our beloved mag is only published weekly, yet it's coverage of dinning around Hong Kong is more extensive than the total weekly output of the daily South China Morning Post. This week's magazine featured a five page guide titled 'Taking it to the Streets' about Hong Kong's dai pai dongs, an accompanying article about bureaucratic threats to these traditional outdoor restaurants, three restaurant reviews plus an introduction to a new restaurant, a page of food and beverage news and Amy Ma's 'Hot Tables' column. And how much do we pay for all this goodness? Nothing, yep that's right folks, a total cost of zero point zero dollars. It's time we all said thanks to HK Magazine.

Visit magazine website.

Four Peaks Race

2010-01-24T07:51:00.008+08:00

23rd to 24th January 2010

The couple of people who read this even remotely regularly may have worked out that I enjoy the odd jog. Running up Lantau Peak at midnight may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was a part of one of the most enjoyable weekends of my life. I've no idea how the Aberdeen Boat Club's annual Four Peaks Race fits into a blog about food and wine, but I suppose I did eat a home cooked stew Saturday afternoon and drunk quite a bit of rum early Sunday morning. I'll let the video do the talking

Domaine Tournon Shiraz 2005

2010-01-22T09:06:00.021+08:00

Mt Benson, Limestone Coast, $160, cork

M. Chapoutier is a big time Rhone producer, but also a company of vision who have diversified with vineyards across southern France, Portugal and Australia. The Domain Tournon label is M. Chapoutier's Australian venture which focuses on growing Syrah on unique Australian terroir. They have vineyards at Heathcote, the Pyrenees and at Mt Benson, where this is from. The wine is biodynamic and organic. It's rather cool to see the label includes Braille. Sniffing this it screams Aussie red; it's big and beefed up. There's plenty going on with dark fruits, spice and ~~beef~~ kangaroo jerky. Having a sip it's packed with fruit, but is still deliciously savoury. It's all about blackfruits: think blood plums, black currents and blackberries. The most intriguing thing about this however is the texture. On the first day it was really bizarre; chewy, big and consuming, yet by day two it had settled and became a lot silkier. You can see a touch of Mr Chapoutier's Rhone here, but it's the Rhone with extra chunks. Nice wine.

Visit winery website.

Port Philip Estate Chardonnay 2007

2010-01-17T09:05:00.009+08:00

Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula, A$26.75, diam cork

While I didn’t get a chance to visit, I did hear many good things about the new Port Philip Estate cellardoor when I recently visited the Peninsula. From all reports it’s a magnificent building with tidy little restaurant. Port Philip Estate is owned by the Gjergja family who also own the highly regarded Kooyong Estate. Like the Kooyong wines, this is made by Sandro Mosele who barrel ferments it in French oak, 30% of which is new. Having a sniff you couldn’t mistake this for anything but Chardonnay. There are aromas of lemon sherbet, butter and melon. A sip brings out citrus flavours, perhaps grapefruit, with green melon and hint of walnuts on the finish. Where this wine really shines is its beautiful ‘feel’ in the mouth; it’s rich, textured and creamy. Port Philip Estate Chardonnay 2007; nice wine.

Visit winery website.

Apgujeong Tent Bar

2010-01-11T08:49:00.016+08:00

1/F Koon Fook Centre, 9 Knutsford Terrace, TST
Visited 10th January 2010 Knutsford Terrace is a great spot for a happy hour ale, but never inspires me as a dinning destination as it always seems over-priced and dominated by chains. Looking up seems the way to go as there's a few more interesting options tucked away on the floors above including the Korean restaurant Apgujeong Tent Bar. Look for the big glowing Korean writing and head up to a room that's authentically decorated with wood panelling, traditional floor seating and a TV playing Rain DVDs.

When I visited Korea last year I got the impression that while the food was tasty there were only about thirty different dishes in the whole country (stonepot rice, chicken and ginseng soup, barbecued meat, rice cakes). Strangely the menu at Apgujeong Tent Bar has at least thirty-five dishes. We ordered samgyeopsal-gui and japchae. First came the mandatory banchan or side dishes. These were of top quality and the range of tasting treats included clams, broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, beansprouts, salad and of course kimchi. Next was the japchae; the big serve of sticky cellophane noodles came with beef and mushrooms and went down a treat. Cooking at the table is always fun and the samgyeopsal-gui or barbecued pork belly was great. The strips of chunky pork came with plenty of lettuce for wrapping and a tasty, spicy sauce. To drink I thought I better order a Korean Cass Beer, while Joey had a can of something Korean and mango based. I enjoyed the authentic and tasty Korean food at Apgujeong Tent Bar. The staff were efficient and cheerful, but that could have been because there was so many of them working for a relatively small place. I thought the prices were pretty fair; the beef was $128 and the noodles $88. If you’re on Knutsford Terrace and after more than a beer Apgujeong Tent Bar is definitely worth a look.

Casa Ferreirinha 'Vinha Grande' 2003

2010-01-07T09:02:00.012+08:00

Douro, MOP$83, cork seal

I do drink a lot of Portuguese wine. This bottle is another purchase from Macau, where there seems to be a never ending supply of good value wines for midweek drinking. Sourcing fruit from the sub regions of Cima Corgo and Douro Superior it's made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz grapes.

This is dark and intense; almost black with just a bit of garnet around the rim. This smells rich and luscious with hints of dusty chalk and sweet oak, but it’s really just about fruit, black fruit, lots of black fruit. Tasting this there’s an initial wallop of sweetness and plenty fruit; I’m thinking plums and boysenberries. There’s also the richness of coffee and caramel flavours. It has a long finish and plenty of big integrated tannin. The touch of warmth on the finish is pleasant rather than ungainly. Casa Ferreirinha 'Vinha Grande' 2003 is a nice wine, but you’ve got to like the sweet, rich style.

Visit winery website.

Snap Shot Home

2010-01-04T21:50:00.018+08:00

Visit to Australia
23rd December 2009 to 2nd January 2010

I hadn't had Christmas in Australia for quite a few years. The chance to spend time with family and friends was of course fantastic, as was the opportunity to introduce Joey to the Land Down Under.
View looking east from the top of the Eureka Tower; Art's Centre, National Gallery, Botanic Gardens, Government House, the MCG, Flinders Park and the Yarra River.
View of Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul's Cathedral.
I'd never visited the Eureka Tower before; the views from the top were spectacular, though I'm not too sure about the giant bees.
A trip to the Vic Market is always worthwhile.
As is an afternoon or two at the MCG.
Visiting mates in the Yarra Valley; it felt so good to be back in the Bush.
Vineyards at the excellent Warramate Winery.
Bushrangers Bay at Mornington Peninsula after an enjoyable walk in.
Yes you do see 'wild' Kangaroos in Australia.

Napier Hotel

2010-01-04T13:02:00.022+08:00

210 Napier Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne
Visited 2nd January 2010
Saturday night in Melbourne and it's time for a final fling before a way too early flight back to Hong Kong Sunday morning. The inner city suburb of Fitzroy is home to a great assortment of old-school Aussie pubs, but for food the Napier is perhaps my favourite. Housed in a hundred and nineteen year old building the pub is tucked away in a backstreet just opposite the old town hall (once upon a time Fitzroy use to have both a mayor and a football team). Inside the decors a mix of traditional charm with wood panelling, stain glass windows and modern cool with plenty of cool art, plus the odd piece of football memorabilia. The crowds a mix of the area; professional and bohemian, old and young, all are welcome.

Sure the Napier's a pub and the menu's a pub menu, but it's good. If you want a parma, burger or fish and chips they've got it, but there's plenty more interesting options including kangaroo, seafood, curry and the massive 'bogan' burger. I ordered a scotch fillet off the specials menu. The juicy, well cooked steak came with crunchy greens - broccolini and asparagus - and some rather tasty fat cut chips. I also managed to procure quite a bit of my mother's burger as its massive girth was well out of proportion with her appetite. Served on toasted ciabatta, with top quality bacon and a delicious garlic yogurt it was an interesting take on my usual pub favourite. The food at the Napier is really top-notch; the serves are exceedingly generous and quality of the ingredients is obvious. A pub cold beer is the order of the day and Melbourne brewed Mountain Goat 'Hightail Ale' on draft was the perfect choice.
The Napier's does everything a pub should, but does it perfectly. The bar staff are friendly and knowledgeable, to drink there's an interesting selection of beers and the ambiance is eclectic and welcoming - where else can my parents and such a crowd of my scumbag mates manage to mingle with the public? Oh and the food. The food's just want you want in a pub - big serves of well cooked, delicious grub at very fair prices. My steak was $23 and the burger I devoured half of was only $16, which all in all is pretty bloody good value. Back in Hong Kong - a land of happy, happy theme pubs and glitzy corporate bars - I'll miss the Napier, a true Melbourne pub.

What's With Dim Sims?

2010-01-04T11:11:00.014+08:00

A Country Town in Australia
2nd January 2010

Who in Hong Kong knows what a dim sim is? While Chinese in origin, a dim sim or ‘dimmy’ is very much an Australian dish. I’d assume the name is the corruption of the Chinese ‘dim sum’. These popular snacks are available from takeaway shops, fish n chip joints and Australian Chinese restaurants across the country. So what is a dimmy? Basically it’s a big, nuggetty, think skinned dumpling filled with cabbage and pork or chicken and either deep-fried or steamed. They are traditionally served smothered in soy sauce. Driving back from the beach I called into an average looking take-away joint with the intention of getting Joey’s reaction to a dim sim. Tradition labels poor quality dim sim as being filled with a whole assortment of miscellaneous meat and so I was almost disappointed when the smiling proprietor told us he was from Hong Kong and hand-made all his dim sims. The verdict? Joey was almost laughing when she saw the “monster dumpling” and while there’s nothing dainty about a dimmy, we both enjoyed are little snack of Australian Chinese fusion.

Read about dim sims here.

Scallops

2010-01-03T12:56:00.011+08:00

Port Philip Bay
2nd January 2010

We’re up before down, trying to beat the storm clouds gathering over the Bay. A group of us grabbed the required mountain of gear and headed out SCUBA diving in an attempt to get a feed or two of scallops. Port Phillip Bay is a massive body of water on which the city of Melbourne adjoins and lots of Victorians spend summers fishing, swimming and boating. I hadn’t dived in a couple of years so was hopelessly incompetent and retired from the adventure early. Before surfacing I did see a massive school of crabs that had swarmed for breeding and were churning up the ocean floor; an impressive sight. The others however did their job and returned with bags full of the fresh molluscs. Eating scallops is easy, but cleaning them is a different matter. Slaving away with a knife opening shells at least had that benefit of being able to munch on them, sashimi style, I worked. We had to head back to Melbourne, but took a bag of the fresh, juicy scallops for lunch. Pan-fried with and garlic and butter, they became the feature of a delicious salad. Fresh scallops gathered in the morning and eaten latter that day; oh Australia I’ll miss you.

Paradigm Hill

2010-01-02T23:19:00.028+08:00

26 Merricks Rd, Merricks, Victoria
Visited 1st January 2010
A mate of mine had been raving about the Paradigm Hill Pinot Gris recently and when we passed the sign for their cellar door at Merricks Joey and I thought we'd drop in for a look. We were actually lucky that it was New Years day as they only open the first weekend of every month and public holidays. Entering the stylish, open building we were greeted by the proprietors of this family run business; George and Ruth Mihaly. This husband and wife team have 10 acres of north facing vineyard and, with aims of sustainability, the winery is carbon neutral. Firmly believing that they make 'food wines' you are not just poured a glass, but rather presented with a freshly cooked sampling plate to accompany each wine.

Matched with a white bean puree the Paradigm Riesling 2009 was lovely with attractive floral nose, great length and even a hint of minerality on the palate. Next stop was the Pinot Noir 'L'ami Sage' 2007 with a tasty local turkey and cranberry sausage. The fresh Pinot was all about cherries and spice, but was also extremely focused and structured. Well matched with a spiced lentil and carrot soup was the Shiraz 'Col's Block' 2007. This velvety, cool climate Shiraz was absolutely delicious and packed with pepper, spice, plums, cherry and a whole lot of seductiveness. To finish was the Finir 2009 accompanied by chocolate dipped pineapple. This spritzy Moscato was awash with citrus and pear flavours, had beautifully balanced sweetness and just screamed yum. Our visit to Paradigm Hill impressed me. The Mihaly's were extremely hospitable and it was great to chat to them about their wine, vineyards and life on the Mornington Peninsula. The food pairing was a relaxed and enjoyable way to try the wines; which were all excellent. Joey wasn't particularly fussed about drinking, but had a very pleasant time playing with Jemima their beautiful Golden Retriever. I certainly recommend a visit to Paradigm Hill or even just trying their wines. Visit winery website.

The Long Table

2010-01-01T13:02:00.036+08:00

159 Shoreham Rd, Red Hill South
Visited 31 December 2009
New Years Eve down the Peninsula and instead of the traditional barbie and midnight skinny-dip of my youth, I found myself being all sophisticated and mature. We were invited through a friend of a friend for dinner at Red Hill's the Long Table and I was overjoyed to be spending new years with the lovely couple whose wedding I celebrated a year ago. Red Hill is a bit of a gourmet hub with a brewery, cheese factory, cafes, produce store and ensnarling ring of wineries. The restaurant is an open, airy affair featuring plenty of rustic bricks and timber.
They were running a special New Year's Eve dinner menu and we were restricted to a choice of four entrees, mains and desserts; though choosing still wasn't easy. To start I went with the crowd favourite; pork belly and scallops. The tender (but tiny) square of pork was accompanied by beautifully well cooked scallops, apple and a scattering of crunchy black rice; tasty stuff. Though tempted by slow cooked beef fillet for a main, I went with Port Lincoln seabass. The well cooked crisp fish was served with an enticing side of smoked potato, mussels and chorizo; again delicious stuff and obviously top quality ingredients. Joey's juicy chicken with pear, artichoke and witlof salad was also an excellent dish. I wasn't interested in dessert, but the little samples of cheesecake and chocolate bar I tried were superb. Their winelist is pretty impressive; it’s stacked with local offerings, alongside and a fair bit of interesting international stuff. However we kept things simple and went for carafes of the house wine. The white; a mystery local Pinot Gris was unfortunately pretty average, but the red was tasty; a delightfully, fruity local Pinot Noir cleanskin.
For me sweaty crowds vibrating at a doof or gazing vacant eyed at fireworks holds absolutely no attraction on New Year's Eve. I much prefer to spend the evening with friends; enjoying good food, wine and maybe even a bit of intelligent conversation. It’s never pleasant to work on New Year's Eve (and I’ve done my share), but the staff at the Long Table were outstanding; friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and most importantly possessing the sense of humour needed to get through the night. I was obviously impressed with the grub and considering it was New Years actually thought it was a pretty good deal at $50 for two courses or $65 for three. The litre carafes of Pinot were also OK at $30. If you ignore the spewing beachside suburbs filled with overpriced monstrosities, the Mornington Peninsula is a great spot for food and wine; the Long Table just another feather in its cap. A lovely evening.

Visit restaurant website.

Giant Steps Tarraford Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006

2009-12-26T14:02:00.029+08:00

Tarrawarra, Yarra Valley, Victoria, A$40, screwtop

The turkey's in the oven and it's time to face the dust, spiders and explore the 'cellar'. Most of my wine is stacked unlabelled, in miscellaneous boxes so it's always an element of lucky-dip. I smiled however when this number emerged as it seemed it would meet all criteria. Aussie? Tick. Goes with turkey? Tick. Tasty? Let's hope so. I've raved about their excellent cellardoor previously, but Giant Steps also gets a big thumbs up for producing distinctive single vineyard wines, that promote the concept of terroir within Australia. This specific bottle comes from the Tarraford Vineyard a 21 hectare plot located at Tarrawarra between the towns of Healesville and Yarra Glen. A vibrant crimson colour, this screams Pinot as soon as it hits the glass. The nose has plenty going on and while it's initially all cherry and rich red fruit, soon more subtle aromas of cloves, cinnamon and rosemary emerge. On the palate, red cherry again dominates, but there's plenty going on in the background and complexity is added by spice, cedar, dried herbs and a slight smokiness. This tastes delicious, but it's also very well crafted. Acidity balances out super fine tannins and keeps the fullness of the palate in check. Length is also excellent. A superb wine that contributed to a lovely Christmas day; and yes it went well with the turkey.

Visit winery website.

Mann Méthode Champenoise 2006

2009-12-26T06:07:00.010+08:00

Baskerville, Swan Valley, cork

Christmas morning and pop go the bubbles. I'm at my folk's place in Melbourne and when celebrating they normally reach their favourite Mann Méthode Champenoise. The Mann Winery is a small, family run bouquet winery in the Swan Valley near Perth. Interestingly the wine is a blanc de noir made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. From what I understand it normally sells out on allocation so I've no idea how my dad manages to get the odd carton of this.

This is just off white in colour; a pale onion skin pink. It's got plenty of fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is pretty faint with just a delicate shimmer of red fruits; specifically cranberries and raspberries. On the palate though it comes alive; there’s a load of bubbling acidity to keep the whole outfit refreshing and crisp, while the flavours are rich and complex. I tasted red fruits, especially cherries, as well as lemon rind. There’s also an aromatic herbal component and a touch of floor polish(?) that reminds me a lot of Nolly Pratt Vermouth. Bubbles on Christmas morning always taste good, but I like Mann Méthode Champenoise 2006; it's a well cut drop with plenty of personality.

Big Fish

2009-12-23T20:52:00.008+08:00

Lunch at a mate’s
24th December 2009

Drawing up a list of things I miss about Australia wouldn’t be an easy task. On top, of course, would be friends and family, but then what? Clean air? The bush? The open road? A half decent education system? But surely, near the very top somewhere, would have to be the subtle joys of fishing. So when I see the fish my friends catch it tends to make me just a tad jealous; jealous of all the casts I’ve missed since being away. It’s my first morning back in Australia and time to begin the circus of catching up with friends; something, that unfortunately for Joey (on her first visit), tends to dominate trips home. First stop is lunch at a mate’s and alongside the super company and delicious wine is this massive Snapper he caught; stuffed with rice, herbs and onion. Freshly caught, well seasoned and packed with juicy flavour it’s a memorable meal that brings buckets of joy, but also just a hint of regret at what would be a much more regular occurrence if I still lived in the Land Down Under.

Medoc Wine Workshop

2009-12-10T10:20:00.023+08:00

Asia Wine Service and Education Centre, Sheung Wan
9th December 2009

This seminar was a collaboration between the wine loving dudes at SOPEXA and the wine teaching dudes at the Asia Wine Service and Education Centre. I'd never visited the AWSEC rooms before and I was impressed with the professionalism of the setup. We were seated in a large classroom and provided with everything we needed to learn, as well as drink.

The seminar used resources provided by Medoc Wine Council that included a seemingly never-ending parade of powerpoint slides. Stephen Mack, the lecturer, did a fantastic job of making all this information digestible in an entertaining manner. The Medoc and its communes were explored in detail and eight wines supplied to emphasis the different aspect of the area.

The wines were a good cross section of different styles ranging from unoaked Cru Bourgeois to classed growths Chateau Kirwan and Chateau Grand-Puy Ducasse. While the rich and structured Chateau Kirwan Margaux 2005 impressed with its floral nose and potential for cellaring my favourite wine of the night was the Chateau Chasse-Spleen 2003. This drop from lowly rated Moulis was delightful with a complex nose rippling with blackberry, mocha, smoke and spice and plenty of black fruit and spice on its long, smooth palate. My night of tasting the wines of Medoc was an entering and engaging evening. I was impressed with Stephen Mack's knowledge of the topic and enjoyed the opportunities offered by a comparative tasting.