FoodMeUpScotty

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…

Fish School: A cool spot with amazing fish

It seems to be list season; the 2017 Hong Kong & Macau Michelin guide was just released, as was the Tatler Top 20. Just two of the many restaurant guides and lists that are available in HK, they’re probably two of the main guides I use when looking for a lovely dining experience; the other…

Ciao Chow: The best pizza in HK?

Apart from the quite generic Pizza Express, there’s a real shortage of great pizza places in Hong Kong. Sure, I could name a couple of places that do alright pizza, but there’s not many places that could be classified as world class. That all changed when an interesting little place called Ciao Chow opened up…

Djapa – Nipo Brasilerio the most colourful of mixes

I love discovering a new place that instantly ingratiates itself on all levels. It’s even better when that place is about ten steps from the front of your apartment entrance! The Avenue; AKA Lee Tung Avenue has to be one of the most popular destination spots in Hong Kong now, I can attest to this…

1* Angler @ South Place Hotel

Sometimes you take a punt and it pays off. Sometimes not. With so many quality restaurants in London, many with Michelin stars, it’s sometimes hard to decide on where to go. I mean, you generally expect a certain level of quality at Michelin starred restaurants, but I’ve been disappointed before. I’d been pigging out a…

1* Galvin la Chapelle – a most beautiful setting

Picture this, a beautiful old building is built for the parish of Bishopsgate as part of a school for girls in 1890; serving as a parish hall and gymnasium. Enter the 70’s, a time of demolishing the old to make way for the new; and if not for a dedicated group of local residents that…

Gordon Ramsay’s 1* Petrus in Knightsbridge

I still haven’t figured out how to get into Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, the three Michelin starred showpiece restaurant that’s rated as one of the UK’s best. Every time I’ve travelled to London, I’ve attempted a booking, on any day for lunch or dinner and have been stymied at every turn. There must be a secret…

1* L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon @ Covent Gardens

I’m slowly accumulating visits to the many L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurants dotted around the world; yeah, that sounds like a real hardship! If you think about it, the task is not really that difficult. Arguably the most famous chef on the planet and certainly the most decorated (at last count 33 Michelin Stars), Robuchon…

2* Greenhouse – Mayfair London

I’m glad we live in an age where Google Maps exists, because without it I’d have spent all day wandering around the back streets of Mayfair looking for the Greenhouse. The beautiful little restaurant was in the backstreets and mews of one of London’s best areas and was only identifiable from the street because of…

1* Tosca at the Ritz Carlton; where everybody knows your name

Just about everyone of a certain age brackets should remember the TV show ‘Cheers’. It was a half hour sitcom about a bar in Boston and the catchy theme song for the show was called ‘Where everybody knows your name’. If you’re not familiar with it, rekindle your memories or experience for the first time…

Rhoda: Nose to Tail cooking with bags of flavour

You can tell a lot about a chef by the way he sets up his kitchen. Walking into Rhoda for the first time, I could tell that head chef and culinary director Nate Green was a confident man. The internationally renowned Joyce Wang designed restaurant has the kitchen as the centrepiece of the restaurant, with…

Spoon by Alain Ducasse

I’m not really sure why it took over eighteen months to finally get around to visiting legendary chef Alain Ducasse’s Hong Kong restaurant. It ticks pretty much every box that I ever look for in a restaurant, French, modern, Michelin Starred and as a bonus, a restaurant from one of the top chefs in the…

Ce La Vi: More than a restaurant

A month ago, my best mate was across from Taiwan for a quick visit. We were feeling a little bored and thought that a trip to LKF to check out the night life would be a great way to kill a bit of time. A quick bus ride later and we found ourselves in Hong…