FoodMeUpScotty

London: 2* Dinner by Heston Blumenthal #39* in the world

Here’s what my Monday looked like: Flight arrives in London at 5:30am Check into Hotel at 7:30am F45 Training Session at 9:30am Visit to Lyle’s at 12:30pm Visit to Dinner by Heston at 6:30pm If ever there was a contrast between the old culinary world and the new, this was it. Lunch was at a…

London: 1* Lyle’s #54* in the World

Here’s what my Monday looked like: Flight arrives in London at 5:30am Check into Hotel at 7:30am F45 Training Session at 9:30am Visit to Lyles at 12:30pm I was feeling particularly jet lagged as I arrived at the Shoreditch train station, so I was particularly happy to find that Lyle’s was only a few meters…

Dim Sum Library: a catalogue of amazing bites

Don’t let its name or whereabouts fool you; Dim Sum Library is a super cool restaurant in the most unlikely of locations. Interspersed with clothes, sports and homewares stores at Pacific Place in Admiralty, it’s hard to get a sense of the size and scale of Dim Sum Library. The relatively narrow opening and bar area…

Shanghai: 2* L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon

You know the drill, one of the greatest chefs of the last 100 years, and it must be said probably one of the most canny restauranteurs going today. How else do you account for the squillions of Michelin Stars the guy has. Of course I’m talking about Joel Robuchon. I’ve been collecting Joel Robuchon visits…

Shanghai: 1* Jean Georges

I was taken aback by the casual elegance of the dining room at Jean Georges in Shanghai; it was a very welcome respite from the freezing cold of Shanghai in the middle of winter. Making my away across the river the Shanghai’s very cosmopolitan district, The Bund, had been a taxing affair; trying to communicate…

Buenos Aires Polo Club: the cardinal sin of overcooked beef

Have you ever wanted to really like a restaurant, but just not been able to? That’s how I felt about the Buenos Aires Polo Club; one of the latest offerings from the Black Sheep group. I’d not really been involved in selecting the restaurant for our recent catch up with some of the girls study…

Shanghai: Mr & Mrs Bund

When I found out I was going to Shanghai, I was so excited. Not only had the Chinese city recently been bestowed with stars from the Michelin Guide, one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the world just happened to be located there too. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet is described as one of the most…

1* Vea: Breathtaking food, visually stunning

Vea It’s the favourite restaurant for a lot of people I know here in Hong Kong. It also seems to be the darling of the Michelin Guide, having secured a coveted Michelin Star in its first year of operation. No mean feat! The fact that it’s taken over a year for me to get in…

Gaucho: Tasty Argentinian Steak

I’d normally think you’re onto a pretty good steak spot when the dining room chairs of a restaurant are made from cow hide. That’s exactly what I first observed when being shown to our table at Gaucho Hong Kong, an Argentinian steak restaurant in the heart of Honkers. I was a little bit seduced by…

Belon: the Neo-Parisian bistro in Hong Kong

I love it when an Aussie chef does well overseas. It’s why I was excited and intrigued to learn that James Henry had shut down his well regarded Paris Bistro Bones to establish a new dining establishment here in Hong Kong. It seemed like a strange move to relocate from the world’s most glamorous culinary…

Bizou; the Nordic American brasserie

What is American Cuisine? More to the point, what is the Hong Kong version of American Cuisine? Dining Concepts’ most recent new venture aims to answer that question; Bizou is the latest in a long line of restaurants from the group and they’ve pulled out all of the stops to give us an interpretation of American…

Frantzén’s Kitchen: A new Nordic King

For a city where restaurant openings are as common as the rising sun, I was surprised by the hype that surrounded the launch of Frantzen’s Kitchen. Perhaps intrigued was a better way of putting it, after all, the Nordic style had been tried by Chef Nurdin Topham’s NUR. And while I rated NUR as one my…

Quartermaster: the accidental burger

I don’t know about you, but finding a reasonably priced and good quality steak in Hong Kong is pretty difficult. Don’t get me wrong, you can find an amazing piece of beef here if you pay a premium, a premium that makes your eyes water at times. So, I was pretty intrigued when I found…

Orana: Australiana for the sake of Australiana

A long time ago in a land far, far away. Well, not that long ago really; and not that far away. I grew up in a small city in Australia called Adelaide (pronounced Radelaide by locals) but moved away in my very early twenties, to a slightly larger small city called Brisbane. Anyhoo… I was recently…

JinJuu: Contemporary Korean and oh-so-tasty

I have to say, I was pretty dubious when the girl suggested that we visit Jinjuu for our monthly lunch date. After all, our last couple of ‘long lunches’ had been at Michelin starred restaurants. I had no real reason to be suspect about the Korean fusion joint, the girl had recently been with workmates…

Commissary: A new taste in town

If someone asked you to describe what ‘Southern Californian’ cuisine was all about, could you? Up until recently, I don’t think I could have! Commissary is the restaurant that might just be able to open up the whole Southern Californian culinary scene; especially if the Culinary Director has anything to say about it. Morgan McGlone…

Aria: deserving of Two Hats!

When considering fine dining in Brisbane, you’ve got your creative and slightly eccentric options – think Esquire and Urbane; but if you’re thinking much more traditional then it’s hard to ignore Aria Brisbane. The Matt Moran restaurant was a welcome addition to the Brisbane fine dining scene when it opened up in August 2009. Introducing a level…

Esquire: Still one of the best?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I have a confession to make. It had been eight hundred and ninety nine days since my last visit to Esquire. The date was 6th May 2014. It might sound strange that I remember the last time I went to Esquire so vividly, and that…

Operetta: Italian? French? Japanese? or still finding its feet?

One of my favourite restaurants in Hong Kong was two Michelin starred Wagyu Takumi, which until recently was helmed by renowned Japanese Chef Mitsuru Konishi. I’d heard that Chef Konishi was involved as culinary director of the newly opened Operetta in Pacific Place, but was completely surprised when I learned that Chef Konishi had made…

Otto: Italian fine diner you must try

Many questions were asked when at only a month into its operation, Italian Fine Diner Restaurant Otto picked up a coveted Chefs Hat. More-so that the upstart interloper from the southern states also picked up the prestigious Restaurant of the Year (note, not new restaurant of the year). Who were these guys, and what right…