Townhall, San Francisco, USA

Town Hall is amazing. After some hit-and-miss experiences in SF, Town Hall came through with the goods for an awesome date night with Mr. Lamb.

We had a fantastic experience, from the online booking right through to the time we finished off our night caps and whistled out the door.

Despite having a menu heavily focused on meat, the kitchen seemed more than happy to build 3 vegetarian courses for us (we'd told them we are veggie while booking, which was just the same day, and they didn't batt an eyelid about making up a special request). Looking at the menu, there were quite a few options for starters, so it was just the mains we had to get creative with. We arrived to soup and salad, had a great rice dish, and enjoyed old-fashioned cocktails made with flair all the way through.

I admit, we were pretty limited for main course options, but the great food and buzzy atmosphere made a fantastic evening for us. We didn't get a sense of their creole speciality (evidently their fried chicken is not-to-be-missed for meat eaters!) but knowing creole isn't the most veggie-friendly of cuisines, this was to be expected. Would love to see someone do vegetarian creole come to think of it! The smells and spices make me jealous!

Town Hall has a beautiful interior, with exposed bricks, and feature bar, and warm atmosphere. Tables are fairly close together, and people seem to go here for good cheer and hearty food, so it can get fairly loud - all adding to the vibrant experience. Definitely recommend!

Add: 342 Howard St, San Francisco, CA
PH: (415) 908-3900
Web: http://www.townhallsf.com/

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/

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/