Laris, Hong Kong

I had heard of Laris while living in Shanghai, but never had the chance to go myself. I knew the dining concept was Australian, and I'd heard good things from friends who had been. So when I heard Laris had opened a restaurant in Hong Kong, I was eager to visit.

After doing a little research I found out that the group owns almost half the restaurants in Central! I've probably eaten in Mr Laris' places many times and just not known it. Anyway, to eat the the restaurant that has his title was a treat.
I've now been twice, and both times I've had a great experience. Sitting on the 2nd floor, you're able to look up and down Wyndham St and enjoy the happenings from a quiet perch. Try to get a seat by the window if you can - the panorama is really charming. It's a great way to see Hong Kong - close enough to street level to feel it, yet quiet enough that you're allowed to see it through new eyes. The narrow curve of Wyndham as it turns into Hollywood, the suits going home from work and jeans coming into the bars, and the old buildings holding on precariously to the side of the hill. It really feels like Hong Kong here.

The service at Laris is very smooth. Although there are a few pillars in the dining room that make for some inconvenient little spaces, the wait staff are able to navigate through the tables easily, and offer every care. It's a small space, and it feels like an intimate dining experience here. A great place for a date.

Our food was exceptional. The menu is laid out by Bird / Fish / Meat / Vegetarian which makes it very easy to navigate. The menus have a lot of white space and a beautiful font, giving a classic and simple feel. I had the forest mushrooms with olive oil powder, truffle, carrot & mascarpone. They came in a beautiful boat shaped bowl, and were delicious. My husband had a cauliflower soup which was light and rich. We then both had the jerusalem artichoke risotto with shaved parmesan and sage butter for our mains. It was filling but elegant, with nice, juicy chucks of artichoke, and again it was presented beautifully.

A friend had reccommended the sticky date pudding for desert and it didn't dissapoint. I really like this place. There aren't enough veggie options for me to come on a weekly basis, but for a treat and a suitably impressive vegetarian experience, I can happily reccommend Laris.

Add: 2/F, 77 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong
PH: +852 2530 1600
Web: http://www.diningconcepts.com/laris/

Lily & Bloom, Hong Kong

We weren't planning on a Friday night out, but when work finished, and work drink obligations had been satisfied, the moment grabbed us and we felt like eating something nice. Lately I've been feeling a bit uninspired in Hong Kong, but Lily & Bloom came to mind, and we decided to give it another go. We called up and got 2 seats at the bar.

As soon as you arrive in the cocktail bar level that is Lily, you're immediately immersed in the mood and style of place. It's all wood, wrought iron, leather and candel light. The interior staircase leads you up to Bloom, the restaurant area of the venue. It's centered around a long bar, where bar tenders get into the shake, shake rhythm that buzzes through the whole space.

Our server was impecable, and so relaxed yet attentive. She guided us through the specials, which rolled back and forth above the bar on an iron frame. We chose the heirloom tomato starter from the specials (which I love, but I'm starting to see a bit too often) and a small tart off the usual menu. I also took up the offer of 3 Pinot Noir tasting glasses which were beautifully served up. Each glass had a different coloured spot on the base, and the bottles were lined up behind them - one from New Zealand, one from Bordeaux and the final one from Australia. So nice.

As our main, we had raviolli with candied olives and rocket. Usually it has proscuito and beef broth, but the waitress spoke with the chef and they were happy to do it in a tomato broth instead. The waitress was concerned it might be a bit dry as a result, and in the end she was right, but it was still nice and fresh and we greatly appreciated the gesture. The fresh rocket on top was bighty, and the portion size was just right.

We had space for desert, and I'm glad we did. It was creative, and again the waitresses suggestion was spot on. Although by this time in the evening the restaurant was getting busy, and the courses were taking longer to arrive. We didn't mind. The space of Bloom gives plenty of interesting things to look at - including beautifully hung wine glasses as a feature in the center of the dining room. The glasses are actually in use - it's a great working show.

However my favourite part of the decoration is the bathrooms, which hosts a space for powdering, and a beautiful waterfountain as centerpiece. It's dark, and candel lit, and you shouldn't be surprised to meet someone of the opposite gender in there. It's a lovely space, and just adds to the romance of the whole restaurant.

Despite being at the center of LKF, Lily&Bloom feels like an oasis. It's been a staple in Hong Kong for several years already, and I trust it will be serving to a world class standard for many more.

Add: 33 Wyndham Street | 6th Floor, LKF Tower, Hong Kong, China
PH: 852-28106166
Web: http://www.lily-bloom.com/

Kea's Private Kitchen, Hong Kong

A couple of months back I booked a table at Kea's after reading about her Private Kitchen on a review. I was so excited to go, but then Kea called me a few days before our reservation date to say her baby was sick and she needed to cancel. We were bummed out and booked another place, but took the first chance we had to come back to Kea's. So with some great friends from Australia in tow, we eventually headed off to Kea's Kitchen for real.

Kea has a beautiful, custom designed 3 storey boat floating in the Aberdeen marina. From the open air top deck you can sit in style, and look out over the flashy lights of the kitsch Jumbo Floating Chinese Restaurant while rowers training for the dragon boat festival swoosh by. To see the colours at sunset over the water is a truly unique Hong Kong experience.

But even getting out to Kea's boat is an interesting Hong Kong adventure in iteself. When you arrive at the marina club, call Kea and she'll arrange a sampan to come pick you up for a couple of coins. It's a fun way to get between the pier and the boat, and Chocolate, the patron dog of the sampan gives plenty of licks and laughs to make the experience all the more unique.

The boat is Kea's private residence, which she shares with her husband and 3 young kids. It's an immaculate, modern motor boat, with clean white curves as chome accents, and beautiful wooden boards. It feels so special to be on this boat, which is at the same time private and hidden, yet inviting and special. Kea is able to open up her home so genuinely, that you don't feel you're intruding, even though there will be no more than a dozen or so guests on board at any time.

We elected to have the Thai style set, which is her specialty, despite having trained in European techniques as well. The flavours were so fresh and raw, with peppercorns and bighty herbs popping right out of the plate. It had a healthy does of chilli, and beautiful knife work. Kea explained that she goes to the market each day to source the best produce, and it certainly shows.

After several full-flavoured courses of curries and vegetable parcels, we finished off with a mango and sweet rice, which was the perfect ending to an elegant meal. The simplicity shone through, and the ingredients had central stage. This is Thai like I have never seen it before - with so many Pad Thai, Thai Me Up, Right Thai, and Thairiffics out there, it's easy to assume Thai food consists of greasy noddles only. But if you've tasted the fresh lemongrass and clear broths within Thailand itself, you can imagine there's so much more to this punchy cuisine, and Kea certainly does it justice.

At the end of the meal, Kea brought up her baby daughter to meet us on the roof - a beautiful little cherub girl who was so well behaved, and ideally suited to the private kitchen business! Kea also offered us a shot each of a locally made passionfruit vodka, demonstrating that she's a true part of the local grass roots hospitality scene in Hong Kong, supporting other small purveyors. We made a point of visiting their shop the next night.

We had such a fantastic night, and were sorry to get back on the sampan to go back to land and the real world. Kea offers something truly special. The food itself is something, the boat setting is something else, but Kea's hospitality brings it all together into a very unique and totally enjoyable fine dining experience. Hong Kong style!

Add: Catch a Sampan from the Aberdeen boat club, Hong Kong, Island South
PH: +852 6077 5964
Web: http://keaskitchen.com/

The China Club, Singapore

Having tried The China Club in Hong Kong, I was interested to see what the modern high-rise version in Singapore had to offer! We were invited along for an INSEAD dinner with a big group, all intent on speaking about that days lecture topics - plenty of Freud, transference, and acid trips to discuss. The conversation was whole hearted and we had the makings of a really fun night.

The decore is very similar between the two restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore, with lots of dark woods alcoves, and Chinoisery.

The meal was served chinese degustation style, with more than 7 courses, and all creatively presented. Being that many of my INSEAD colleagues are either from India, or of Muslim faith and not eating pork, there are quite a few non meat eaters among us. It's really nice not to be such a novelty in this company! We could all veggie enjoy the creations together.

The food at The China Club was ever-changing and very tasty, with a variety of soups and braised vegetables. The presentation was bright but had some nice quirks and modern plating. We sat at big round banquet tables, and the whole space was filled with noise a clatter, almost as if our laughter was bouncing off the highly laquered furniture. This is a great way to eat Chinese!

I can fully reccommend the Singapore cousin of The China Club. It has all the charm of it's Hong Kong counterpart, and the food is just as creative and beautifully presented. In every seat you feel like you're among friends in a private dining room, and the waitstaff move like ghosts around the party, making every comfort, with a little more tea here and a swift plate change there. Great hosts, and a classic Chinese setting.

Add: 168 Robinson Rd  Singapore 068912
PH: +65 6820 2388
Web: http://www.chinaclub.com.sg/

Big Four Restaurant, The Huntington Hotel, San Francisco, USA

We booked our reservation at Big Four on Open Table (I really love that site!) as we were staying just down the road in Nob Hill and had walked past a few times. For our last night in San Fran we thought we'd splash out on a nice dinner. We'd enjoyed the 'American' food so much over the past week, and wanted to go out on a high. All the reviews said Big Four is a San Francisco classic, so I made our booking for 2 veggies, got a nice new dress on, and enjoyed the walk over past the Fairmont and the beautiful cathedral.

Sometimes I think you just 'know' as soon as you get to a new place whether it's going to be good or not. In this case, I had the gut instinct we were in for an average event, based on the dismissive way we were greeted and seated. But remembering how lucky I am to eat in places like this, I decided to have a great night. The heavy woods, leather seats, and dim lighting makes for a old-world feel, and the pictures on every wall remind you of the history of San Francisco. It's a cosy space with many nooks set up for private tables, and the live piano player is a nice touch (that is, until he starts chastizing the waitresses, and you notice how much he's drinking.... Anyway! Back to being grateful!)

We ordered a salad and soup to start, and a pasta and risotto for mains, along with some champagne to celebrate a great, sunny trip to a beautiful new city. We'd walked the hills, sipped the Irish Coffee, drank Napa wines, and listened to the bell of the trams outside our hotel window. We had felt strangely at home in the huge expansive China town, and chatted with people in the post office trying to send baby formula back to Beijing. We'd also found some of the best coffee roasters in the city - I always measure a city by how good the coffee is and San Francisco stacked up with the likes of Blue Bottle and Four Barrel. I could happily live there with the sunshine and the sea mist.

The food arrived - sorry to say the soup might have come from a can, and the salad, while presented in a pretty symetrical pattern, wasn't very tasteful. Well, we moved ahead. My risotto was very nice, with a lemon zest that really stood out. Unfortunatley, the spaghetti was truly bland. It's a shame to say that Big Four is all vegetarian sausage sizzle and no pop.

I don't expect a restaurant to make a special event for us. It's great to see places like Big Four who already have meat free options on the menu as part of their regular offering. It's just a shame to see such lack of imagination and flavour. Why bother?

The wait staff were stiff, and seemed to be full of inside jokes amongst them. There was no genuine warmth or care paid, and the head of the restaurant seemed dismissive and full of self-import. It was truly a strange experience see the management of the floor hit the mark by so far. They seemed so preoccupied with the pomp and importance of their restaurant, that they forgot to look their patrons in the eye to offer any vague expression of warmth or interest.

Oh well, it all goes to show - the packaging isn't everything, although it's very pretty in this case! But if it's what's inside that counts, then Big Four gets my big thumbs down. It feels terrible to write reviews like this, but I guess it balances the rest out - they can't all be good!

Add: 1075 California Street San Francisco, CA 94108. Cross Street: Taylor
PH: (415) 771-114
Web: http://www.big4restaurant.com/

Gold, Hong Kong

Gold, despite all the fuss and fanfair, was very average on the food front. We were hosted for a work dinner, with around 50 people, and the venue suited beautifully. With an outdoor terrace and smooth chocoloate interiors, it was a great place for a function.

However, in short, I can only say that the vegetarian menu prepared was simple, but resoundingly un-special. An heirloom tomato salad was fresh and uncomplicated, and a pesto pasta was fine, but a baked mushroom was desheviled and unseasoned. I'm rarely so harsh, really!

The desert was served with smoke - all show and little flavour. We had a great evening none the less. Perhaps Gold is better for regular a la carte dining and not functions.

Add:Level 2 LKF Tower 33 Wyndham Street | Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong,

PH: 852-28699986

Web: http://gold.panomatics.com/